What Comes Around Goes Around
by xKumax
Summary: Sequel to Karma Is A Funny Thing. Karma thought things were on the up but chaos is errupting around her. Who are these ninja her and her family keep running into? What does this strange footprint mean? And why does Raph shut her away when she needs him?
1. Birthday cake, candles & a present

**Author notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres. 

My second story and involving my own character, Karma, who I do actually own. If you haven't read Karma Is A Funny Thing, I suggest you read that before reading this so you know what's actually going on!

Birthday cake, candles and a present

I wake up for the second time in the early hours of the morning. My heart flutters in my chest, my breath comes rapidly & my mind is still etched with horrific memories. I sit up in my bed, putting my face in my hands as the last memory of the nightmare dissolves away.

It's been three months since I was rescued from Baxter Stockman's lab by my big brothers Leo, Donny & Mikey, & Raph, my boyfriend, though the term "boy" doesn't really fit him very well.

It's not just that he's a mutant turtle trained in the arts of ninjitsu, it's because, well, he's grown up. We still use humanoid terms for each other, even though we're only about half human, it makes no difference to us, we're people, mutants, turtles, we don't really care.

Looking back, all of us have had a lot of growing up to do, well except Mikey, I don't think he'll ever be classed as 'grown up'. Too much chaos has been going on for us to stay naïve, we need to remember the world is a dark place, especially for us.

Strange things have been happening the past two months. Whenever we go out training on the rooftops, there's this street gang, known as the Purple Dragons beating some poor guy up in an alleyway. Okay, maybe that's not so strange, it is New York after all, but sometimes when fighting the Purple Dragons, these ninja show up. Dressed all in black but a strange, red symbol that they wear on their left side of their chest. The symbol's hard to describe, it's a foot print, but not human. I know one thing about it, that's for sure, it's certainly not saying 'hey, we're friendly, c'mon, we'll give you cookies'. Yeah okay, my family & I are ninja, & we're certainly not normal, but well trained, real ninja stalking the streets of New York, that's even more abnormal than us.

I guess because I've realised about the danger of the world, I've grown too. There's a big change from sitting in a lab all day to practising ninjitsu. Splinter pushes me hard, but I'm glad he does. I'm not half as scared as humans as I used to be, probably because Splinter realised the more I faced them, the less I'd find them scary. Maybe there was a slight gamble involved with that, but I trust my sensei. In fact, going out & giving those Purple Dragons what's coming to them gives me some slight satisfaction. I'm not sure if that's Raph's influence or my vendetta on the human race coming through. There's only two humans that vendetta is never carried out on, Casey Jones & April O'Neil.

I might give Casey the odd playful punch if he's in one of his annoying moods, but he's got a good heart & grins, normally making a joke about how 'this chick could totally kick my ass!'.

April's even sweeter. I knew when I found out that she worked for Stockman, there was no way she'd been involved in my cruelty. I confronted her about it all the same, when Donny went to see her. I was a little nervous of her reaction, but Donny was in the room, so I knew I was safe. I retold my story to the red haired woman, & when her eyes started to fill with tears, I knew that she'd had no idea. In fact, when she stumbled into Stockman's secret lab & discovered the Mousers, it was the first time she'd even known it had existed.

Baxter Stockman. I've got a few other names for him myself, & Raph has a whole vocabulary. He's the monster that made me what I am. Sometimes I look at my own hands & hate myself, I feel it bubble inside of me. Then I start to think logically. It's not myself I hate, I never wanted to be like this, I was just some experiment of some cruel mind. Stockman is the one I hate, & he's the one responsible for my vendetta on humans. I know I could kill him all too easily, but master Splinter told me, though I may be called Karma, I have no right to start dishing it out. My name is only some sick trick created by the humans & my strength is not for killing at will, it's for protecting myself & my family.

After sitting in my bed, reflecting back on everything, I heave myself from my bed, straightening my pyjamas & running a hand through my tousled hair. I decide to see if any of the boys are awake, normally somebody's up, to take my mind off all of the terrors running through my mind.

Mikey's room is completely silent as I stand outside, no video game booms or crashes escaping it. I check Donny's bedroom too, door closed & no sound coming from within. I creep past the stairs to listen outside Raph's room, quiet snoring as usual, then Leo's room which is completely silent.

I creep down the stairs, & see a light seeping from the bottom of Donny's lab door. Smiling weakly to myself, I make my way over to his door, & knock twice. I hear wheels skid across the floor, & as the door opens, perched on a chair with wheels, smiles Donatello, the genius of the family.

"Hey Karmy." He uses the nickname Mikey first started.

"Hiya Donny, am I interrupting you?"

"No no, not at all, come on in." He wheels away, back to his surprisingly untidy desk. I step inside, closing the door behind me & sit on a stool, right next to Don. "Still having nightmares?" He says picking up a screwdriver & turning his attention to the burnt out toaster, the pieces scattered over his desk.

"Yeah, I've woken up twice this morning, I couldn't be bothered to try sleeping again." I glance at Don's laptop in front of me.

"Hmm, I'm not sure what I can do for you Karm, I've been racking my brains for weeks over this." He looks up at me with eyes surrounded by purple. "Oh yeah, April sent me an email for you to read, seeing as it's your birthday tomorrow, well," he glances at his wristwatch, displaying 1.34 AM, "technically today." I smile weakly as I start up Donny's laptop.

The 12th day of the 8th month, my birthday. I have no idea why Stockman would bother keeping track of my birthday, but he engraved it on my necklace all the same, the necklace I abandoned at his lab when I visited it with Raph.

"Will you type your password in for me Donny?" I ask my brother.

"Huh?" He looks up puzzled for a moment, then registers my request, "Oh yeah, sorry." He wheels over slightly, & leans over me to type in his password. The start up screen flickers, then changes to Don's background. He loads up his email for me, & clicks on the message. He wheels back over to his desk, picking up his screw driver once again & I read the email.

"To Karma,

Happy 16th birthday!

I thought maybe you'd appreciate an email a bit more,

I know you're still a bit nervous around Casey & I.

I just wanted to say, I hope you have a lovely birthday. I might visit you later if it's okay, I do have a few presents to give you. If not, I'll get Don to fetch them & I'll visit you & the boys some other time.

Casey told me to say happy birthday too, I think he may have got you a little something too, so he might make an appearance at some point.

Have a wonderful day & enjoy all your cards & presents,

Love April

xxx"

A mix of emotions flow through my body. I've never really had a birthday before & I've heard all these weird words batted about like 'presents' & 'birthday cake'. I shuffle on the stool & Donny looks over, slightly concerned.

"Are you nervous about your birthday Karm?"

"No, I just… I've never had one."

"We gathered as much, seeing as where we'd found you." My brother smiles kindly. "We won't make a big fuss & fluster you or anything, we'll just give you a few presents & let you blow out some candles on a cake."

"I don't know… I don't know what these things are…" I mutter, feeling stupid.

"Presents are like… things somebody gives you as a treat. Your birthday cake is just like a normal cake, like what Mikey makes sometimes, but it's for your birthday especially & you blow out candles on top of it. Candles are… hmm…" Donny thinks, then puts up one finger, dashing out of his lab. He comes back in a few minutes later, holding a purple stick with a flame flickering on the end of it. I look at it in awe & fear it slightly. "This is a candle, like what you'll have on your cake tomorrow. We had a few spare, so I thought I'd light this one to show you." He blows on it & the flame flickers, then disappears. He puts it down on his desk then smiles kindly at me.

"I don't understand why you would celebrate human things." I say quietly.

"I know you find it hard to believe us Karm, but not all humans are as dreadful as you've come to think. I understand why you find it so hard to believe, you've only encountered two humans that haven't hurt you, but it's just the kind of humans we deal with. We're ninja, we're supposed to deal with the bad ones I guess. I hope you'll understand some day."

I shuffle on the chair, biting my lip & hugging myself. Donny swivels on his chair, & goes into his drawer. He pulls out a little green rectangle & a purple bow placed delicately on top. I gasp as he sets it in front of me.

"That's beautiful!" I play with my hands, resisting the urge to touch this amazing thing before me.

"It's yours. That's what a present is Karmy." Donny smiles at my amazed features.

"But… I… What do I do?"

"That's just the wrapping paper on it, the present is inside, you have to rip the paper off."

"I'm not sure I wanna open it, it's so beautiful!" I can't resist grinning & feel much younger than sixteen. Donny smiles broadly.

My fingers dance across the smooth green shape, looking for a way in. I find a place where the paper is folded over. I rip it slightly & blue shows through. I frown & rip off the rest of the paper. I hold a blue book in my hands, a lion & two girls dancing on the front of it & in white, the title of the book, 'The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe'. I grin widely at Don. I put my present down & throw my arms around him.

"Is it okay?"

"It's great Donny, thank you so much!" I feel tears run down my cheeks.

"I thought you might like that, I know you like reading. I remember when you & Mikey watched the film, you loved it, so I thought you might wanna read the story. It's quite good I've heard."

"How did you get it though?" I pull away from him, looking at him in the eyes.

"April got it for me, I paid her the money for it though."

I'd heard of this thing called money, but only that it's precious & scarce around the lair. Donny is the only one to earn it, but I know he shares it with the family & we use it when we need it.

"You used money?" I frown, uneasy that he'd used that precious thing to get me something.

"Your face was worth it Karm." He smiles & I smile back.

"Thank you so much big brother!"

"You got more to come, so don't use up all your thank you's. You better get to bed anyway, it's nearly two in the morning & you've got a big day ahead of you. Mikey's gunna be your alarm clock I think, so expect to be woken up at 6 o' clock." He rolls his eyes.

"Are you coming to bed too?"

"I'm just gunna fix the toaster, so we can actually have breakfast tomorrow, & then I'll come to bed, I don't wanna be too tired for your big day do I?"

I grin & shake my head.

"I'm excited now, I'm not sure I'll sleep." I pick off the purple bow from the paper & stick it on Donny's plastron. He looks unimpressed, but keeps it on all the same.

"C'mon, go to bed."

"Okay, night Donny, thank you again!" I kiss his cheek & his cheeks flush. I giggle & bounce out of the door.

"Good night mischief." My purple banded brother calls after me. I grin & make my way upstairs, finally ready to sleep for the big day in front of me.


	2. Sweet sixteen

**Author notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

My second story and involving my own character, Karma, who I do actually own. If you haven't read Karma Is A Funny Thing, I suggest you read that before reading this so you know what's actually going on!

Thanks to all my reviewers, Hipprincess, ChibiLover & Rubyyy It's much appreciated, I thought I might end up screwing up this story.

Sweet sixteen

"_HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SISTER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!_" Mikey's off key singing is the first sound to reach me on the morning on my birthday. I groan and try to roll away from the noise. The bed sinks beside me and a hand is placed on my shoulder, shaking me slightly. "Karmy, c'mon birthday girl, it's 9 o clock already!"

"I need my beauty sleep…" I mutter from under the covers.

"Nonsense, you're hot!" I sense Mikey is grinning from his statement. I flap my hand about lazily, hoping it will somehow come into contact with my boisterous brother, shutting him up.

"Mikey…" I groan.

"You wanna argue against that? Huh? D'ya, d'ya, d'ya?" I feel the weight shifted off the bed and clutch my blankets tight, fully well knowing my next treatment. My half asleep attempt is no match for my littlest, yet still strong big brother and he yanks the blankets from my frame. My eyes fly open, shooting a dark look Mikey's way. "See, you're awake now, present time!" He grins wildly at me, as always. I sigh, sitting up and rubbing my face.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." I swing my legs out of the side of my bed and sweep away the hair falling onto my face. I go over to my mirror on my desk as Mikey flips on the light for me. I brush my hair slowly, still feeling sleepy. My orange banded brother bounces next to me, more impatient than Raph.

"C'mon!"

"Mikey, you just woke me up at 9 o' clock in the morning, I am NEVER up at that time. Besides, it's my birthday, I don't wanna look rough… I better have a shower too…" I pretend to consider, but a smile plays on my lips. Mikey groans, muttering 'girls' under his breath. As I finish tying up my hair, he grabs my wrist, tugging me downstairs.

"We're your family, we don't care and Raph thinks you're hot whatever."

"Fine, you win Michelangelo." I roll my eyes as we descend the stairs. Getting to the bottom, I take in the scenery before me.

A handmade banner stretches underneath the overhang from the floor above, displaying 'Happy birthday Karma!' on it in multicolour. Balloons float around, on the floor, and stuck on the walls wherever possible. Leo's perched on the sofa arm, holding a blue mug in his hands, Donny's nowhere to be seen and Raph is lounging on the sofa, his red banded head just visible over the top of it.

I giggle at the wonderful decoration, making Raph and Leo turn around. Raph grins at me and Leo smiles.

"Happy birthday little sis!" Mikey grins.

"Happy birthday Kar." Leo gets up, putting his mug down to give me a hug. Mikey wraps his arms around both Leo and I, making us all laugh. Raph ambles over, grinning too. He slips an arm around my shoulders and bends down to give me a kiss.

"Happy sixteenth birthday." He says and I smile up at him. Donny wanders in, smiling too, carrying a green cup. He hands it to me and gives me a hug too.

"Happy birthday Karma."

"Thank you all so much! It's all so lovely!", I get slightly overwhelmed, "Donny, what the hell happened to not making a big fuss?" I smile and tears overflow from my eyes.

"Well, we kinda figured… you're well worth it." My purple banded brother smiles. I cup my mug of coffee in my hand, unsure what to do. Raph takes my free hand and guides me over to the sofa. Our brothers follow, taking various seats on and around the sofa.

In place of the coffee table, a whole array of green shapes occupy my eyesight. Purple bows and orange bows, squares and odd shapes, red bows and blue bows, every kind I could imagine displayed in front of me. I squeal in delight at all the presents and the boys exchange grins and smiles.

"We'll just wait for sensei, he should be up by now." Leo says, his seat on the arm of the chair next to me.

"And so I am, my son. I would not have my only daughter kept waiting for me." Splinter walks into the room, his walking stick tapping on the concrete floor as he moves. "Happy birthday my daughter." He takes his place on the armchair, smiling across at me.

"Thank you sensei!"

I beam over at him broadly, then my eyes drift back to the green shapes in front of me.

"So, whose first?" I ask, glancing around.

"OOH! Mine, mine, mine!" Mikey grins up at me, from his seating position on the floor by my feet. His hand hovers over the two presents with orange bows on, and he picks up the bigger of the two. He hands it to me and I take it graciously, setting it on my lap. I carefully turn it over in my hands, looking for a fold in the paper to rip it open.

"Rip it! I don't care!" Mikey urges.

"I'm trying!" I giggle and find a place to rip it. The uncovered present is revealed and I grin almost as wildly as Mikey. "Oh Mikey, this is one of your favourites, I can't!" I hold the Shrek DVD in my hand.

"Of course you can, you love it Karm!"

"Thank you Michelangelo, you are very sweet." I smile at him, letting him know the present is well received.

"I think you should open one of Don's next." Mikey turns around to look at Donny.

"Ah, you see, she's kinda already had one. She was up this morning and I gave her the book. I figured she needed the practice opening presents."

"Donny you suck! I wanted to give her a present first." Mikey pouts.

"Ah shush ya big girl Mikey." Raph teases him.

"Fine, one of Leo's then." Mikey swivels his head to the leader of the family beside me. Leo gracefully slides off the sofa, to pick up a long box present. He smiles as he gives it me. Returning the smile, I place the present in my lap as I did with Mikey's, trying to find an opening. I carefully unwrap it & take off the cardboard surrounding the present. I take out a scroll and unravel it. Two painted Japanese kanji dominate the white paper and underneath it, in smaller letters, says 'innen' and then underneath, in even smaller letters, says 'karma'.

"Leo, did you do this yourself?" My eyes drink in the beautifully painted characters.

"Yeah, I know you like the ones in my room, but I thought I'd make yours a bit more personal."

"It's beautiful, thank you so much." My mixture of green and blue eyes drift up to his deep blue eyes as he takes his place next to me again.

"No problem, _imouto._" We exchange smiles. "A present from Raph next."

My eyes turn to the turtle seated next to me, lounging back on the sofa as casual as always. He grins as he catches my glance. He gets up and picks up a small square present, topped with a shiny red bow. He hands it to me, and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I smile shuffling over to him more as he sits next to me again. I unwrap it and find myself holding one of Raph's favourite CDs, Breaking Benjamin.

"Raph! I've already been given one of Mikey's favourite films, now you're giving me one of your favourite CDs!"

"Karm, I hafta wrench that thing from your hands every time I wanna listen to it anyway, ya may as well have it." His eyes twinkle.

"Thank you." I say softly, a smile coming over my face.

I continue to unwrap the presents in the same order and find myself with a pile of presents. An orange beaded bracelet from Mikey, a hairdryer from Donny, no doubt fixed up by the genius himself, another book on kunoichi from Leo and a necklace, a green stone pendant hanging on black cord, from Raph. I thank them all one by one, giving them each a kiss and a hug. Splinter speaks as I hug him.

"_Musume,_ I do not wish you to think I have not got a small present for you, I just wished you to open the boys presents first. I shall go fetch it from my room for you."

"I'll get it for you sensei." Leo stands up stretching.

"It is just by my bedside Leonardo, thank you."

Leo nods, dashing off to Splinter's room. I move onto messing with the orange beaded bracelet around my wrist.

Leo comes back in a few moments later, handing a black box to Splinter. I get up, and go over to my sensei, to kneel in front of him.

"Karma, my treasured daughter, this is a very special day for you. You are very special to me, and I want to give you something also very special to me." Splinter carefully opens the box. I gasp at the beauty within it. Two folded out black fans, delicately and intricately painted with green Japanese patterns. Bigger than typical fans, the edges gleam and the surface shines, making me wonder whether there is more to these than meets the eye. "Do not be offended daughter, I know you by now and I know that you care little for such feminine objects such as fans. Please, pick them up."

I obey my master, carefully lifting up the fans. They chill and weigh my hands down more than I expected.

"Are these metal sensei?" I look up into my master's deep brown eyes.

"You are correct Karma. These are called _tessen_, iron fans. There is much debate to whether they were used in battle, or even by kunoichi, in fact, there is very little information on them. Even Japanese by origin, I know little about them. The one thing I do know about these particular fans, is that they belonged to Tang Shen. My master Yoshi, whom I told you of when you first came to us, was in love with Tang Shen. He loved her with all of his heart, and she loved him the same back. Yoshi had acquired these fans somehow and he gave them to Tang Shen, so she could protect herself if she ever needed to. It was usual for women to carry fans, as you know, giving Tang Shen the chance to carry them with her at all times.

As I have told my sons, Tang Shen befell an evil fate, by an evil man, his best friend. It broke my master's heart. He avenged Tang Shen's death, then afterwards moved onto bigger and better things in New York. He decided that he would keep Tang Shen's tessen, as a reminder of his love for her and how he must keep fighting against the evil in the World.

These same tessen are those that my master gave the woman he loved all those years ago. Now I am following in his footsteps, giving these to a very special loved one in my life."

I bow my head in front of my master, managing a meek "_domo arigato sensei" _before tears spill down my cheeks.

"Do not cry my daughter," Splinter says gently, lifting up my chin to look up at him, "I am honoured to have you as my daughter, & would give anything to you, even something as special as these."

"Sensei…" I struggle for words. I get up from my knees, hugging my furry father tightly.

"Happy birthday Karma."


	3. Presents from April and Casey

**Author notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Sorry for such the long wait, I've had such a bad case of writer's block! Hope this makes up for it.

Presents from Casey & April.

Descending the stairs from the bathroom, I hear Mikey singing to himself in the kitchen as he cooks breakfast for all of us. I run a hand through my damp hair, my eyes searching for my new present from Donny. I find it on the coffee table that's been moved back to its rightful spot and as I pick it up, I hear a ringing throughout the lair. The ringing stops and a murmur of a voice comes from Don's lab. He appears from it, holding his shell cell.

"Hey Karm, it's April for you." He throws the cell, for some reason trusting me to catch it. Thankfully I do.

"Hey April."

"Karma! Happy birthday!" She says chirpily and I smile.

"Thanks, and thanks for my email too."

"It's fine, I thought I'd make sure you'd want me there on your birthday, instead of just turning up! Is it okay for me to come over?"

"Yeah, it's cool, Mikey's cooking breakfast, I'm sure he wouldn't mind cooking for one more."

The hum of the secret elevator starts up, and as the doors crack open, a figure with presents in his arms, stands there.

"Yo Karm, happy birthday chick!" Casey grins, peering over the top of the presents.

"Two more." I correct myself.

"Lemme guess, Casey's just turned up unexpected?" April asks me.

"Got it in one, hang on," I hold the cell away from my mouth slightly, "hey Casey, thanks."

He makes his way over to me, putting the presents down on the sofa and embracing me in a friendly bear hug.

"No problem! Where's that bone head called Raph?" He lets go of me, his eyes wandering to the multiple TVs. He grins and sits on the armchair. I smile and roll my eyes, turning my attention back to April on the phone.

"Come quick, bring duct tape and some rope. I'll chuck him in the back of your car and you drive him to the docks."

April chuckles down the phone.

"I'll be over as soon as. See you later!"

"Bye April, I'll give you back to Don."

I chuck the cell back over to Don, standing in the doorway of his lab.

"Thanks." I smile and leave him to talk to April.

Just as I finish fixing my hair, Raph comes in from the kitchen, drinking some orange juice. He wolf whistles at me and my cheeks flush a darker shade of green.

"Well, well, well, who's this sexy girl who's invaded our lair?" He gives me a kiss on the cheek, sliding a hand down the bottom half of my shell. I bat him off and giggle, but he only grins. He spots Casey in the armchair, concentrating fully on the TV, then the few presents on the sofa. He rolls his eyes, putting his orange juice down on the coffee table to move the presents out of the way. He slumps on the sofa, and I sit next to him, cuddling into his side. I pick up my book about kunoichi, the only present other than Don's downstairs. I hung my scroll from Leo in my room, I still wear Raph & Mikey's presents and my DVD, CD and tessen are stashed upstairs.

It's not long before April arrives, a bag full to the brim with presents for me. She puts them with the pile from Casey and gives me a hug.

"Thank you April, you really shouldn't have." I smile.

"Nonsense! It's a special age."

"I have a feeling you'd all be saying that, even if it wasn't."

Mikey's voice rings out from the kitchen, declaring breakfast is ready. Leo comes bounding downstairs to join us. We all cram into the kitchen, sensei included, and eat the delicious spread prepared by Mikey. There's pancakes, toasts, scrambled egg, bacon, sausages and waffles. I go for the sweet option, piling a few pancakes on my plate, as well as a waffle.

"What are we doing tonight? Are we having a movie? I asked Donny, but he was a little hazy on the details." April tucks into some toast.

"We're having some pizza, some popcorn and whatever film Karm wants to watch." Leo says. He's leaning against a cupboard, just behind me, eating some toast.

"And cake!" Mikey says through a mouthful of scrambled egg.

"Michelangelo…" Splinter sighs.

"Sorry sensei." He grins back at his father.

"Mikey, you're such a pig." Raph says, piling his fork high with bacon and egg.

"Oh yeah, says you Mr. I'll-have-everything-on-the-table."

"Gotta make the best of what you've got." Raph simply grins.

After breakfast, we go back to invade the sofas to let me unwrap presents. April's paper is violet swirls on a lilac background and Casey's paper is light blue topped with a dark blue bow.

They obviously went overboard, even though they were instructed not to by me.

April brought me a purple skirt with simple black flowers scattered above the hem, two pairs of shorts, one green, the other blue and some hair clips.

Casey went for fewer, but more expensive presents, forking out on a hockey jersey for me, New York Rangers of course, and a blue scarf to match.

"I figured ya might be sick of walkin' round half naked, 'specially as Raph can't keep his eyes to himself."

Casey seems pleased with himself that he found something I could actually wear over my shell and something I liked. I always found myself watching hockey with Raph and Casey whenever he was over. Mindless rampage was fun to watch, but even more fun was watching Raph and Casey swear at the TV, them usually proclaiming "I could do better than that, get your ass off the floor and go get that-", the last word was normally from Casey and Raph's colourful vocabulary.

It was also rare to find t-shirts that could fit me, because of my shell, so I usually didn't wear anything on my top half. My plastron covered my torso up enough from gawking eyes, but I didn't have that privilege on my lower half. The skirts and shorts I wore could be tucked under my shell slightly at the back but dresses were a pain. They were normally huge and never flattered my figure, so I gave up with them eventually, opting to walk around topless as it were.

Mikey found this amusing the first morning I did it, shouting "Karm is topless!" and watching Raph rush in from the kitchen. His face fell when he realised, topless or not, I wasn't any more naked.

I guess on first thought, Casey's present of a scarf would seem slightly useless. Not completely true, as in the winter, the boys tend to go up topside in the day, wearing full clothes, scarves included. For a bit of a hothead, Casey had thought out my presents really well and I was really impressed.

I thanked them both, giving them each a hug.

"Now who wants to play party games?" Mikey grins.

"Mikey, in case you didn't know, Karma's **sixteen** not **six**." Leo rolls his eyes at his lovable younger brother.

"Really? Never would have though the way she acts." Mikey grins at me and I roll my eyes, punching his arm playfully. "C'mon, I'm bored! We need to do something fun!"

"How about charades, seeing as you suck at it Mikey." Donny smiles broadly.

"Ooh! I have a good one!" Mikey jumps up in front of us grinning wildly. As he gestures madly in front of us, Raph comes over to whisper to me.

"How 'bout we go for a walk later? Just you an' me."

"Sounds nice." I smile at him, leaning over the back of the sofa to talk to me. "Where?" I nuzzle into his neck slightly.

"D'ya fancy Central Park? Or our usual rooftop?"

"I think we should go on our usual rooftop and have a moonlit picnic."

"Whatever you want, birthday girl." He kisses my cheek. I smile up at him as he heads upstairs. My mind wanders off in thought, until a jab in the ribs brings me to my senses. Donny smirks at me.

"What?"

"A little lost in thoughts of Raph, Karm?"

"Ah shush." I shove him gently.

"She's got it bad!" Mikey sing songs as he sits down from his turn. I roll my eyes and tug on his mask tails.

'Damn brothers! They can be so annoying… purely because they're so right.' I sigh inwardly, shrugging the thoughts away and join in the random flinging of answers at Leo as he steps up for his turn at Charades.


	4. A birthday surprise

**Author notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

A birthday surprise 

The warm night air embraces me as I step out from the sewers, Raph right behind me. I inhale deeply, a smile appearing on my face. A bigger, rougher hand finds mine and leads me onto the rooftop of the nearby restaurant.

"So, how's this?" Raph asks me, as we cuddle under the stars.

"This is wonderful Raph, thank you. I've had such a great birthday, I was actually dreading it, but it's been great."

"You were dreadin' it?" His brown eyes search mine.

"Yeah, well, I can't say birthdays were really celebrated for me before. I probably only got hit with the metal pipe ten times instead of twenty." I reminisce. Raph's arms squeeze me that little bit tighter, keeping me safe. "It's all in the past now, let it flow away downstream as sensei says."

Raph only grunts in response. I rest my head on his shoulder and look up at the twinkling stars hanging above.

"I'm kinda glad we didn't bring a picnic."

"Mm, way too much pizza for one night."

"Oh yeah, you said you'd _had_ a great birthday." He turns to me again.

"Yeah…?"

"Well, it's still technically your birthday." His eyes twinkle devilishly and a grin tugs at his mouth. He leans over and kisses me deeply and I push my body into his. His hand wanders to my thigh, his fingers dancing along it. I giggle as it starts to tickle and we break away from the kiss. He looks into my eyes and brushes my hair back from my face.

"Raph, do you…" I break eye contact with him, "Do you care about my past?"

"What d'ya mean?" His voice sounds uncertain.

"Well, you can't really say that I'm perfect can you?" His silence doesn't reassure me. "Raph?"

"Jeez Karm, how am I supposed ta answer that?" He says gruffly.

"Honestly would be nice." I look over at him, his face twisted into a frown. He gets up, walking away from me slightly. Frustrated by his frostiness, I sigh to myself and tuck my legs up to my plastron.

"I'm not… I… I can't do that." Raph mutters quietly.

"Do what?"

"Just… talk… about things. It ain't my style."

"But why?" My eyes drift over to his solid figure. His dark green skin looking nearly black in the dark and his mask whipping about in the wind. He glances off into the skyline, his back mostly turned to me and his stance taut. I take in his features. His strong legs, bulging with muscles, holding up his stocky frame. His powerful arms, hung maybe too limply by his side and his beautifully etched shell, shining slightly. He's just so good looking. It must be something to run in his family, his brothers aren't exactly unattractive either.

I look down at myself. My legs crouched up in front of me. I let them dangle over the edge of the building, critisizing every inch. '_Urgh, I have such flabby legs… Not to mention so short. I hate that huge scar down my calf. My feet… heh… the less said the better, way too big for my stubby legs_.'

My eyes wander to my plastron, too small for my frame. '_Maybe if I lost a bit of weight, my hips wouldn't look so big. And maybe my curves would stay in line with my plastron, not overlapping it. Why the hell do I even have a chest?! It's completely covered up, there's no point, it's just more fat._'

Lastly, I examine my arms. '_Scarred, flabby and my veins stick out way too much_.'

I sigh. '_What does Raph see in me? He's an amazingly good looking guy and he's stuck with this… thing_.'

"I hate talking. I… I dunno why. I feel stupid an' exposed, an' I hate feelin' exposed the most." I feel his eyes clap on me. "I don't want…" He changes his mind, his mind obviously thinking too much at once. "You're beautiful, yanno that?"

I look up at him frowning.

"Whatever Raph."

"Damnit, why can't you take a freakin' compliment?" His eyes turn away and I sigh again.

'_Damnit Karm, why do you have to be so awkward?'_

Cold steel finds it's way across my neck as soon as the thought escapes me. I gasp, looking up into the mask of another of these mysterious ninja. Another two hoist me up, holding me whilst the other doesn't take his Katana from my neck.

"Raph." My voice wavers. He turns, eyes still burning with frustration, then fear as he realises the situation. Twenty ninja surrounding us, on a rooftop and my neck on the line.

"Happy birthday, Karma." The ninja holding the Katana to my neck hisses and I close my eyes. Only one man can be behind this, Baxter Stockman.


	5. Fear

**Author notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Thanks to everyone for all the reviews and favourite story adds. I was surprised, I don't think this is as good as Karma Is A Funny Thing.

Fear.

"Shit." I hear Raph hiss.

"Put your sai down." One of the ninja commands. The struggle is shown on Raph's face, risk my life or risk whatever the ninja want with us. His sai clatter to the ground, his face showing utter defeat. Two ninja rush over, grabbing his biceps in their hands. His eyes drift to mine and he mouths 'it'll be okay' to me. My eyes drift over to the ninja holding me and I try to come up with a plan to escape them. It'll be hard, the katana held millimetres away from slicing my neck and the grip on my arms tight.

"Heh, what happened to them being tough?" A ninja behind me mutters, another snickering in response.

"Not so tough now we got the girl." The one with the katana, seemingly the leader, speaks calmly. I look over to Raph again. Anger flickers in his eyes.

"Wonder what he'd do if we hurt her?" The ninja on the left speaks then he takes a knife from his belt, holding it just below my cheekbone.

"If you lay one finger on her, I'll rip it from your hand." Raph's tone is menacing but calm. The leader of the ninja takes the katana from my neck and pushes away the knife from my cheek.

"You can't do anything from over there though, can you?" He speaks almost proudly of his catch. He wrenches me from the grip of the other ninjas and throws me to the ground. I land on all fours, then a foot pressing down on my shell forces me onto my front. Tracing his katana near my face on the concrete, he forces his foot down further.

I try my hardest to keep calm, but the fear of being on a rooftop with so many humans and Raph unable to help me makes my whole body shake. I close my eyes, trying not to show my fear and think of comforting words from my master.

'Never fear anything my daughter. You have a strong spirit, it has just been dampened by the cruelty of man. You can overcome it. As the Japanese proverb says, fear is only as deep as the mind allows.'

I hear Raph curse at the ninjas holding him and I open my eyes. The foot is lifted from my back, but a katana is pointed to the nape of my neck. A kick is delivered to the side of my ribs, the only unprotected space on my torso. I'm forced to roll onto my back and stare up at the ninja.

"Our orders were to torture you for running away, we may as well let him watch your suffering." his eyes flicker to Raph.

The katana is pointed to my neck again and I breath out heavily, working up some courage.

The proud ninja above me stands tall, sneering down on me. He glances around to the other ninja around him and I take my chance. Quick as a flash, I grab the blade between my palms, twisting it away from my neck and send a kick flying into the stomach of my would be torturer. He flies back, clutching his stomach, his katana clattering to the floor. In one fluid movement, I'm up on my feet, tessen drawn. My eyes narrow at the ninja before me and he curses me in Japanese. Two other ninja lunge at me. I use my tessen to block the blows from katanas heading for me. One ninja flies across the rooftop from my foot connecting with his chest, another lies at my feet from a hefty blow from my tessen, which when folded are pretty much like clubs. I make my way through four other ninja, before heading for the ones holding Raph. Then step back warily, unsure how to handle the situation. Raph knows exactly how to handle the situation. He takes his chance, throwing both ninja to the floor then going for his sai. He stands in front of me protectively, grinning at the remaining ninja standing before us.

"You know the orders, get her!" The lead ninja has managed to compose himself and wields his katana. I glance up at Raph and he glances back, grinning.

Five ninja rush for us and we make easy work of them as a team. Another few take on me and Raph helps me out. The lead ninja frustrated at half of his team defeated, summon the rest forward and attack us. We take out most, before the lead ninja swipes at my legs. I flip backwards elegantly and Raph steps in. He holds him by the throat and I fend off the rest of the ninja.

"Come near her again and **I swear**, I'll break your damn neck." He hisses into his face, a sai caressing the ninja's chest. Raph throws him to the ground, aiming a sai right for his leg. I flinch as I hear the scream from the ninja who was once composed and proud. I look away as Raph retrieves his sai. With all the ninja unconscious, or too hurt to move, he takes my hand, hurrying away from the scene. We clamber into the sewers to make our way home.

"Did you hurt that ninja… for me?" I ask the figure, hurrying in front of me.

"I dunno." Comes the gruff response.

"Why do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"Push me away. I try to talk to you Raph and I don't get anything back."

"If you hadn't already figured, I ain't the talkin' type." He stops to turn to face me.

"Why?" I fold my arms.

"I dunno, just ain't…" He turns away again but doesn't walk off.

"Raph…" I touch his shoulder.

"Look Karm, I dunno okay? Jeez ain't that enough for ya?" He shrugs my touch away.

"I wasn't gunna push you any further." I draw my hand back to hug myself, my eyes fixed to the ground.

Raph sighs heavily. His strong arms wrap around the back of my shell, his fingers tracing the etchings on it.

"You did good tonight… ya should be proud."

"What d'ya mean?" I look up at him meekly.

"You stood up to those guys, you did it all by yaself, you didn't need me."

"I do need you Raph. I'd still be as shy and scared as I was when you and your brothers found me if it wasn't for you."

"Hmm. I still think you could do better."

"I don't care, I got what I want here." I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

"I got more than I wanted… or deserve." He pulls away to look at his hands.

"I told you not to bloody your hands for me Raph. That shouldn't be on your conscience."

"I have enough on it already…" He mutters and starts to pace slowly. "Jeez, Stockman, he just doesn't give up. Why can't he just leave you alone? He's caused enough pain."

"It's in the past Raph, it's okay."

"It's not okay when you're scared ta sleep every damn night 'cause you'll have nightmares 'bout… 'bout whatever he did to you." His voice flares up.

"Look, I'll be okay. Healing takes time." I take his hand in both of mine and he turns around to smile slightly. "C'mon, let's go home. You can sleep in my bed tonight if you like? You can be there to hug me if I have any bad dreams."

"You got a deal." He picks me up in his arms and kisses me. We walk home, hand in hand, smiling, the unpleasant events of that night pushed to the back of our minds.


	6. A brotherly talk

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Just a cute chapter with Leo and Raph to get insight to Raph's feelings. Thanks for the reviews!

A brotherly talk.

Consciousness seeps into my mind and a smile finds its way to my lips. No nightmares and Raph's right next to me. I roll over to hug him, but all my hands find is an empty bed. I sit up. Nobody in the room. I sigh and look up at the clock on my wall. 7:40AM. I guess Raph wanted to get up early this morning. I get out of bed to find where he is and get dressed, picking my purple skirt to wear. After brushing my hair I creep downstairs, hearing voices coming from the kitchen. Only one other brother would be up at this stupidly early hour, Leonardo. I take my place outside the kitchen, hidden out of sight to hear what Leo and Raph have to say.

"So you stayed the night in her bed?" Leo's voice sounds like a grin is coming across his face.

"Leo, I'm talkin' to ya here and you're just makin' fun of me," Raph's tone is grumpy, he's never very pleasant of a morning.

"Oh Raph, relax. I know you wouldn't… yet."

"Oh ha ha Leo." I hear shuffling, most likely Raph. "What I'm tryin' ta say is… Well, she's beautiful, an' she's witty, an' it's like no matter how much of the real me she sees, she doesn't run. It makes no sense, a great gal like her…" Raph sighs, "I think I really like her." He mutters the last bit.

"What makes you think that?" I sense Leo is light-heartedly playing around with his brother.

"'Cause… well, yanno… I'm nice… when I'm around her… most of the time… an' I… oh c'mon, I take her out for moonlit walks. Leo, doesn't that start ta ring alarm bells already?! I like bein' out at night, sure, but ta smash heads open, not ta look up at the stars an', uh… hug her."

"It's not just hugging you do out on those walks, I'm sure."

"Leo, I'm gunna kick your ass… Jeez, I thought I could talk ta ya. This is hard enough as it is, openin' up to ya. I woulda gone to Donny, but Brainiac was prob'ly up half the damn night making a spaceship or somethin' an' I wanted to talk to someone before Karm got up. All I'm gettin' is high and mighty Leo diggin' at me." Raph keeps up his moody tone.

"Raph, calm down! You're really not a morning person." Leo chuckles. "Look, don't be scared that you're not such a hothead anymore, it's a pleasant change. Everyone has noticed. I guess it's nice you trust me enough to talk to me about something like this and I'm glad I don't have to go out running after you when you get annoyed so much anymore."

Raph grunts.

"Thing is Leo… what 'bout when I get annoyed with her? That ain't a question of 'am I?', it's a question of 'when am I?'. I'm gunna lose it with her at some point."

"I suggest you do whatever you have to not to lose it with Karm, she's just so fragile, I dread to think how it'd make her feel."

"She had ta pick the awkward one." Raph sighs. "We wouldn't be havin' this talk if it was you."

"No, we'd be having a different talk and I doubt I'd be talking to you."

"You're funny." Raph says flatly.

"You'd be ribbing me as much as I'm ribbing you Raph. But that's not what I meant. Karm would have problems with all of us. Mikey's too loud, Don's too dedicated to his work, you're a hothead, but me, well, I'd be closed off from Karm too. I'd work too hard, I wouldn't give her the attention she needs and there would be no friction between us. We'd hardly ever argue, and that's what relationships are, you gotta argue sometime, you know how us two are."

"Yanno bro, I hate ta say this, but, I hate it when you're just so right."

"Trust me, I'm sick of it too."

A brief pause indicates some kind of smile between the brothers.

"Thanks Leo." I hear shuffling again. "Oh yeah, by the way? We never had this talk, you an' me don't do mushy stuff, I was beatin' your head open on the counter, yeah?"

"In your dreams Raph."

"Is that a challenge Leo?" I sense a grin coming across Raph's face.

"No, I'm just saying I'd be the one beating your hot head open on the counter." I sense Leo is wearing a grin too.

"You wish."

"Now that does sound like a challenge." I hear Leo's katana drawn and no doubt Raph has drawn his sai. I sigh to myself, then smile.

'_For a minute there I was scared they were getting along.'_

I creep back upstairs to catch some more peace and quiet before Mikey gets up.


	7. The Shredder

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

The Shredder.

Whilst the boys practise, training their physical strength, I train my mental strength. My chest slowly rises and falls under my plastron. My eyes closed shut, my legs crossed and my mind clear. A furry claw placed gently on top of my left hand reassures me my father is there next to me.

"Ha ha Donny, nunchucks are obviously the best." Mikey calls out. Wood clashes against wood as Don and Mikey spar and the clashing gnaws at my concentration.

"Concentrate my daughter, in this house, you will have to learn to meditate with so much noise."

I breathe in deeply, pushing the noises out from my head. Once again my head clears and I relax.

"C'mon Leo, that all your wimpy swords can do?" Raph's mocking voice breaks my concentration again.

"You're just jealous you got oversized forks for a weapon, Raph."

My eyes fly open and I sigh. Too much noise equals Karma's concentration gone. My sensei squeezes my hand slightly.

"Another day my daughter." He smiles kindly then his facial expression quickly shifts. Groans of pain from three of his sons draw his attention to the middle of the room.

"As I've said before, and will say again, katana are the superior weapon."

Splinter gets up carefully and hobbles over to Leo.

"Leonardo, there is no 'superior weapon'. Let me demonstrate this. Come at me with your katana." Splinter stands before his tall son, and the rest of his children, including me, stand behind, inquisitive to our master's actions.

"But sensei-"

"But nothing. Come at me." Splinter's tail thrashes as he speaks. Leo reluctantly raises one katana, bringing it down towards his father. With a flick of his wrist, Splinter has his walking stick held in front of him protectively and blocks Leo's attack. "Is this the mighty katana Leonardo? Unable to stop an old rat?" He pushes the katana away with his walking stick. "Do it again. With both."

Leo narrows his eyes and raises both katana. I glance over at Raph, watching intently. As I look back, Splinter has again blocked the blows and with a spin of his body and a twist of his wrist, knocks both katana out of his hands. Admiration flashes across Mikey and Raph's faces, whilst Don and I give small smiles to each other.

"Whoa, go sensei!" Raph cheers.

"You kicked his ass!" Mikey joins in.

Leo's face is contorted with confusion and defeat. Splinter pokes his walking stick into Leo's shoulder.

"This is no place for arrogance Leonardo. Anything can be used as a deadly weapon in the hands of a master, even a wooden walking stick." Splinter bows and Leo does too. "Practise is over." Our master hobbles into his room, to meditate.

As I glance at Raph, he has Mikey in a headlock, pulling on his mask tails. Donny only rolls his eyes, before walking off to work in his lab. I watch Leo, as confusion plays on his face whilst he retrieves his katana. I go over to him whilst he stares into the blades, his reflection looking back at him. Mine appears over his shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

He turns around to look at me.

"I thought-… I thought I'd done so well, I thought I'd please sensei. I thought I always pleased him. I train so hard, never letting my concentration lapse." His brown eyes wander to his brothers. Mikey dives onto the sofa, Raph sitting next to him. They begin to fight over the TV remote and insults of "you're a bonehead Raph, gimme the remote!" and "shut up Mikey, you big cry baby" reach Leo and I. He sighs as he puts his katana back.

"Must be hard being favourite." I nudge him, smiling, to lighten the mood. Leo's face stays defeated.

"I just… I need to get out of her for a while, clear my head." Brown eyes meet mine and I nod solemnly.

"Take care, alright? Don't go and be like Raph, rushing out and getting yourself into trouble."

"I won't." One last brief glance from my oldest brother before he hastily makes his way out the lair. I feel another presence behind me.

"Fearless breaking the rules and going topside, something must be wrong with him." The more playful side of Don comes out. I look around at my purple banded brother, smirking slightly.

"What? Leo breakin' rules?" Mikey jumps off the sofa.

"Now this I gotta see for my own eyes." Raph's eyes flash devilishly. Before Donny and I can roll our eyes at each other, Raph's on his way out of the lair, Mikey shortly following shouting "ha ha Leo's acting like Raphy!". A sigh comes from beside me.

"Coming Karm?"

"I think I'll stay back here to get some meditating done. Look after those boneheads for me okay?"

"Will do. Like I always do." Donny sets off after his brothers.

I look round the empty lair. For the first time in a while, I'm left without the hustle and bustle of four teenage mutant turtles and sigh contentedly at the thought.

I make my way upstairs to my bedroom. Looking in the mirror I take off my mask, rub my eyes and tie up my hair. Yawning, I pick up my book and begin reading. My eyes get heavier and heavier with each page…

"Leo! Think 'bout it! You don't know this guy and he tries ta buy ya off with a katana?!" Raph's angry voice stirs me from my slumber. As I move, my book slides from my plastron. I leave it to one side and make my way downstairs.

"Raph, he said he was fighting for a good cause."

"Sounds like it when those ninja, _his ninja_, keep attackin' us…" Raph's sarcastic comment earns him a glower from his eldest brother.

"Look, we don't know what this guy is about, but if he says he fights for good, then I think we should consider his offer." Leo tries to plead.

"Scientists say they're working for greater good, but they wouldn't think twice about dissecting us if they got the chance." Donny slips in his comment.

Leo sighs exasperated.

"I hate to go against ya bro, but, I think Don and Raph have a point. We don't know who this guy is, he could be saying anythin'."

I clear my throat and four pairs of masked eyes turn my way. I lean against the railings of the stairs, slightly bemused.

"What's going on?"

"Leo thinks it's a good idea to team up with a guy who's been sendin' his pyjama clad ninja after us for months for no good reason." Raph mutters.

"Let me have my own say Raph!" Leo turns on his brother, the red and black katana he holds, pointed ferociously at Raph.

"Yanno what Leo? You just can't handle the fact that you, _fearless leader_, might actually be **wrong** about somethin' and me, _the hothead_, might be freakin' right!" Raph's temper flares up for the first time in a while. My heart leaps slightly at his outburst.

"Shut up Raph! You love pushing me, don't you?" Leo steps closer to Raph, narrowing his eyes.

'_So much for that brotherly talk.' _ I reflect back on their talk from only that morning.

"Not as much as I love seein' ya wrong." Raph's eyes narrow and an wicked grin creeps across his features.

"Pity you never get to see it so often, huh?" Leo's calm statement digs at Raph, causing his eyes to narrow. "Pity it's always you in the wrong." Leo turns his back to his brother. I swear Raph's eyes flash as red as his bandana as he leaps onto his brother. They tussle on the floor, the katana being thrown to the side.

"Damn boys…" I mutter before making my way over to them. "Raphael, Leonardo!" They both stop fighting to look up at me, Raph pinning Leo to the floor still. "Raph, get off Leo, it looks like you're trying to screw him."

Mikey starts to snicker as Raph hastily gets up.

"What you laughin' at?" Raph casts a dark glance to his brother, who quickly stops.

"Look, who's the most level headed person in this household?" I stand, hands on my hips. Three pairs of eyes turn to Donny. "Even more level headed?"

"What? Not you Kar, you're a bit-… oh, you mean Splinter don't you?"

"50 points for genius here." Donny pats Mikey on the shoulder.

"Karm's right, I should be doing what I should have done a long time ago, talk to Master Splinter." Leo strides over to his father's room. A polite knock later and a small explanation leads us to be seated before our father, a sad look upon his face.

"My children, I should have told you this long ago, but I did not want your training to be clouded with anger. I have told you briefly about my master Yoshi, explaining your early life my sons to Karma and also yourselves. As you know I came to New York when my master Yoshi also came here, shortly after the downfall of his love, Tang Shen. I found you in the sewers covered in ooze, the rest is explained history. What happened before that, you do not know of.

My master Yoshi was a great ninjitsu master and I was his pet rat. By mimicking his moves I learnt ninjitsu from him. These ninja that bare this red symbol, are known as the Foot. Their master is an especially evil man, Oroku Saki," my eyes grow wide at this name. Somewhere, a memory of him in my head, "also known as The Shredder. He sent his men to attack my master Yoshi, accusing him of working for his enemies. My master fought most honourably, but the Foot were dishonourable in their ways. They overpowered Yoshi. Shredder entered the room, demanding Yoshi for information on his enemies, sparing no torture for my master's silence. Yoshi said only one thing to Shredder and his Foot ninja, 'He who lives without honour, ends without honour'. Shredder grew impatient and ordered one of his men to finish him. I tried in vain to save my master, scratching the face of the man who rose a sword to Yoshi, but I was only hurtled to the side. Shredder ended my master Yoshi's life himself and in my grief stricken state, I wandered out into the streets of New York. This is how I came to live in the sewers and find you my sons, and you later on my daughter.

Leonardo, this man that offered you to join his side, to fight evil, is Oroku Saki, The Shredder. He is not the one fighting evil, he is the one who is evil. He does nothing for anyone's gain, other than his own."

"I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I actually took in what Saki said."

"What did I say Leo?" Raph's temper stashed away for now, and an all knowing grin on his face.

"Okay Raph, you were right, for once. But, Shredder wants his answer. I think we should go give him his answer." Leo grins around at his brothers, who grin back. I fail to grin back, my thoughts are else where.


	8. Sneaking out

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Chapter 8

"But wasn't sensei all 'don't go beat Shredder dude's ass by yourselves'?"

"Huh?… Oh, I dunno, Raph just told me to ask you to leave a note for Splinter..." I stand by Mikey who's scribbling a note down on Don's desk.

"You okay Karm? You seem distracted." He looks up from writing.

"I'm fine." I give a small smile and get a nod in return. Mikey puts the pen down and straightens up. I glance over what he's written.

'_Hey sensei, sorry but Leo's gone to do his ol' Fearless leader thing and tell the Shredder dude the deal is off. I bet we'll be back before you read this note, you won't even noticed we've gone, ha ha!_

_Mikey, Raph (the smelly one), Leo, Donny and Karmy (who insisted we take her)'_

"Mikey! I didn't insist!" I scowl at my grinning brother who takes the note and sticks it to the punching bag with a spare sai before dashing off laughing into the tunnels. I follow him to meet with everyone else in the tunnels. Leo stands tall, the red and black katana casually slung onto his back with his other katana and a solemn expression painted on his face.

"Ready?" He asks Mikey and I.

"Yup, note written and left in an obvious place." Mikey grins.

"Right… you know you all don't have to do this with me, don't you?" Leo's face falls kinder.

"What kinda brothers would we be if we just let ya go get your ass headed to ya?" Raph straightens from leaning against the wall. I failed to notice him at first, he was lazily blending into the shadows.

"And there's nothing like going topside, even if it is to beat up some big scary dude." Mikey grins.

Don, who was sealing off the door to our home, reassures Leo by exchanging smiles with him, but a worried glance comes my way.

"Karm? You don't have to come."

"No, I want to." I look to Leo, forcing a smile onto my face. "What kinda sister would I be?" Leo only smiles slightly back before leading off. We all follow him through the tunnels, me trailing at the back. Don falls back from the front with Leo, to walk with me.

"Hiya Donny." I smile at him.

"Hey Kar… I don't mean to intrude but, are you okay? Your mind seems elsewhere."

"Everything's fine." I nod at my brother.

"I didn't ask how everything is Karma, I asked if you were okay." He takes a stricter tone with me.

"Yeah I'm okay Donny, just a bit tired."

"You can go back if you want, you don't have to always rush in where we do."

"I want to and I'm okay." I smile slightly again.

"If you're sure." Donny lets out a small sigh.

We make our way down the tunnels and stop at the nearest manhole leading to the surface. We follow Leo along to the old warehouse where Shredder first offered his deal.

The Shredder or Oroku Saki, chose whichever, he's still the same evil man that thought I was "perfect" for destroying my own family. I remembered that dream that seemed too real. I was back in Stockman's lab and was introduced to a "Mr Saki". He told me he was the head of a very important organisation and I was destroy these creatures who were interfering with his business. The thing is, that wasn't a dream, that was a real memory. I just had the unpleasant experience of reliving it twice, luckily the second time was a dream.

Raph is the only one to know about my dream just because he was there for me when I woke up from it. At the time, I was so upset, I doubt he got much out of me in my hysterical state. He probably doesn't remember this won't be my first encounter with The Shredder.


	9. A family reunion

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

A family reunion.

"Raph, it stinks in here!" I whisper to the turtle next to me.

"Since when have you been fussy and girly?" He whispers back.

"Since being in a dumpster!"

"If ya wanna have your ass kicked instead of smellin' a bit, be my guest." The whites of his eyes shine through the darkness and I can tell he's giving me a sarcastic look. "You're sittin' on me anyway, I'm gunna smell more."

"More than you do already?" I grin to myself but hands find themselves tickling my ribs. I squeak and a hand is clapped over my mouth. I nod and the hand slips away again.

"Think there's any out there?"

"Dunno, lemme look." Raph carefully opens the lid of the dumpster and glances around. Throwing the lid open, I come to the conclusion Raph either can't stand it anymore or there's no Foot ninja. I glance around. No ninja to be seen. I clamber out, Raph on my tail, rubbing down my dirty shell.

We step out, keeping our senses keen for anyone.

"We gotta find Leo, Don an' Mike." Raph muses.

"How about calling them?" I take my shell cell out from my obi belt and flick it open. Raph flips the screen back down.

"Nuh-uh, if they're tryin' ta hide, they ain't gunna want their cells ringin' Kar."

"Good point." I shove my phone back into my obi and check my tessen are still tucked into it too.

"Hmm… we're gunna just hafta wander round, c'mon." He takes my hand and we begin to walk out from the alleyway. We hardly reach the end of it before we're spotted by a few Foot ninja. Raph and I make easy work between them, giving each other a triumphant grin.

"Let's go before more come." I take Raph's hand but another is rested on my shoulder. I spin around, letting out a small shriek before I realise in front of me is my master.

"Master Splinter!… Uh-oh, we're in shit aren't we?"

"My son, I am just glad you are safe, but where are your brothers?"

"We kinda got separated…" Raph rubs the back of his neck.

"We ran into Shredder on an abandoned warehouse roof. We fought him and some Foot ninja for a while until Leo hit a transformer on the rooftop. The building started burning, we got separated, me and Raph got flung into that dumpster and... here we are now."

"Hmm. We must find Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo, come my children."

We follow our sensei, skulking through the shadows, avoiding any ninja whilst our numbers are so few. It's not long before familiar voices rise from somewhere.

"Owww Don, slow down."

"Mikey, there are dozens of Foot ninja out there, do you really wanna be caught? We can't run can we? A little further and we can rest over there, it's dark enough to conceal us."

"You may have found darkness my sons, but if we can hear you, I'm sure the Foot will also will be able to hear you." Splinter says as we step out of the shadows.

"Sensei, Raph, Karm! I'm glad to see you." Donny smiles, helping Mikey sit down.

"Couldn't put up with Mike anymore?" I smirk over at Don.

"Hey! If I hadn't sprained my ankle, I'd be kicking your ass Karmy."

"Sprained ankle you say? Michelangelo, do you remember those first few days after you rescued me I had a sprained ankle? And how you wound me up? You got that comin' bro, what comes around goes around." I grin at my littlest big brother.

"Aww, but Karmy-"

"But nothin' Mikey, we got company." I turn around to the red banded turtle speaking and drawing his sai. The company just happen to be twenty or so ninja, not my expectations of our eldest brother and leader. I stand protectively in front of Mikey, guarding him from any unfair attacks.

"I can fight, lemme just- OWWW!"

"Mikey you fool, stay there and rest your ankle." I draw my tessen from my obi and stand poised.

"You should be used to resting whilst we work Mikey." Don smirks, poised with his Bo staff.

"Oh ha ha."

The ninja stand in front of us. The clearly inexperienced ninja at fighting mutant ninja turtles rush in and are beaten back by us. I glance over to sensei, clearly struggling with some device in his hand. I don't get a chance to figure it out as a bo staff comes swinging toward me. I crouch down and swing at the ankles of the Foot ninja attacking me with my folded tessen. The iron comes into contact with his ankle bone and he falls over, groaning in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a ninja trying to sneak behind me to get to Mikey. I somersault backwards and land a kick into the chest of the sneaky ninja. He stumbles backwards and I deliver a hefty blow to his head with my folded tessen. He hits the ground, knocked out cold. I glance back behind me to see Splinter amidst a group of injured ninja.

"Master Splinter is the master! Whoo!" Mikey claps and I give him a bemused look.

Skidding around the corner comes our armoured truck, the Battle Shell. It parks up right in front of us. I help Mikey up and we get in the back along with Splinter, Raph and Donny hopping in the front. We drive through the streets glancing into every alley, looking up at every rooftop.

"There Donny, reverse back into the last alleyway we passed." Raph glances out the window. Don slams on the breaks, reverses and skids backwards around the corner of the alleyway, stopping inches away from Leo, who doesn't even flinch.

"Donatello, you drive much too fast."

"Master Splinter, stop being such a back seat driver. At least I'm driving, not Raph."

"There's nothin' wrong with my drivin'." Raph frowns at Donny.

"Oh yeah, 70 down a 30 road is legal now then Raph?"

Leo clambers in the back, bemused at Donny's comment.

"It's an armoured truck, if I crashed I'd be fine."

"You might be fine, but if you crashed into a convertible, somehow I don't think the driver would be best pleased."

"My children." Splinter holds up a paw. "We have much more pressing matters at hand."

"Like kickin' Shredder's ass?" Mikey grins.

"No Michelangelo." Splinter closes his eyes in thought for a moment. "I am glad you are all safe, I worry for your safety. But now you are all safe, the pressing matter right now is…" He pauses for a moment, closing his eyes in thought. He opens them, takes up his walking stick in his paws and proceeds to tap each of us over the head with it.

"Ow!"

"Ow, shit!"

"Sensei!"

"Ouuuch!"

"Now my head hurts as well as my ankle."

"Your punishment for your disobedience." He frowns at us. "Now, the more urgent matter, The Shredder."

"He's after us now sensei, he won't stop until-"

"Yes I know Leonardo."

"Then we'll go after him! We'll hunt him down an' kick his ass!" Raph's hands wander to his sai.

"Yeah! We won't stop 'til we find him!"

"Mikey, we'd be wandering around all night. We'd most probably drive past him four times." Donny says.

"Besides, he'd find us first." I say, examining my tessen.

"That's what we shall allow him to do my daughter."

"Huh?!" I look up at my father, baffled,

"Let him find us?" Leo questions.

"Yes Leonardo."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Lemme get this straight. Sensei. We're gunna **let** him find us? We're gunna let **him** come to **us**?"

"That's exactly what we shall do Raphael." Splinter sits calmly amidst the confused glances and frowning faces.

"Can we stop for pizza first? I'm hungry."

A sigh echoes around the truck.


	10. The end of Shredder?

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

The end of Shredder?

I glance up at the night sky, glittering with stars and the moon hiding behind a mist of clouds.

'_It's such a beautiful night, just a shame somebody is trying to kill us.'_

I glance down at Mikey, sitting and resting his ankle. We've taken an obvious spot on a rooftop, a water tower to our backs for safety. Splinter above us, perched before the water tower, legs crossed and eyes closed. Raph leans coolly against the water tower, Leo glances around and Donny leans on his Bo staff.

"Hey, little sis?"

"Mmhmm?" I look down the voice beside me.

"You're not really gunna wind me up 'cause I can't walk, are ya?" He grins at me cutely and I just smile at him.

"What a terrible place to hide." A cold, chilling voice reaches me.

"We ain't hidin' from nobody, 'specially not you, tin can." Raph takes out his sai.

"Heh, this one is funny." Shredder steps forward, his swarm of ninja behind him. "Too bad I'll be disposing of you. Foot ninja, attack!" He extends his claws out, his swarm leaping forward. I draw my tessen, their deadly beauty glinting in the moonlight. Don helps up Mikey and the familiar chime of Leo's katana being draw rings out.

Two ninja leap at me, one wielding katana, the other wielding sai.

'_Too bad for them I just happen to practise against those weapons daily.'_

A few swipes from my tessen and a quick punch renders the ninjas down for the count. My glance wanders over to Mikey who's finding it hard to keep up with fast paced ninja and a sprained ankle. I rush over, clubbing one ninja over the head, then spin around him to deliver a kick to the stomach of another.

"Thanks Karmy." Mikey grins.

"What are sisters for?" I grin back. We stand shell to shell, protecting each other as ninja attack. As I fight off the last one, Mikey tackles me to the ground.

"Karm, watch out!"

I hear a whistle of air behind me and I land with a thump on my side, Mikey sprawled on top of me. I look up to where the attack came from and stare right into the face of Shredder. I help Mikey get up and hastily get up too.

Shredder goes after Mikey, attacking him ferociously with his claws but my little big brother, even with a bad ankle, dodges well. I turn to help but a chain wraps around my ready to strike wrist. I tug at it and turn to a Foot ninja, standing proudly at catching one of the infamous ninja turtles. I laugh to myself slightly, roll my eyes and with all my strength, tug on the chain. The ninja falls clumsily, landing on his arm. A shriek of pain escapes his masked lips and I turn to face Shredder again.

I watch helplessly as Mikey is thrown through the air by Shredder, landing against the wall of the next conjoining building.

Narrowing my eyes, I rush forward and aim a jumping kick at the back of Shredder. He spins around mid kick and stumbles backwards as my right foot connects with his chest. I land deftly, tessen held protectively before me.

"Hello Karma." He regains himself. Stepping to his right, I follow suit.

"Saki." I growl.

"You remember me, I'm flattered." He looks at his claws idly. "Stockman told me you'd escaped. Foolish man, unable to keep his own experiments under control."

"I'm not an experiment, I'm a living being." I narrow my eyes.

"You're right… you're not an experiment…" He lunges forward, but I'm ready for him, my tessen and his claws interlock. "You were an **accident**." He hisses, leaning into my face.

"What?" My confusion knocks my attention off, and Shredder sweeps his foot underneath mine, causing me to go crashing to the floor.

"You're one of us Karma, you don't belong fighting me, you belong fighting alongside me." I feel his cold eyes baring down on me.

"I know nothing of your kind." I frown. My statement angers him and his claws go sweeping down on me. I roll out of the way and get up quickly.

"Pathetic fool. You and your 'brothers' won't win this war."

Our weapons interlock again and he kicks me back. A flurry of attacks are flung my way and I manage to keep up, until he knocks my tessen out from my hands. I glance over and dive for them, Shredder on my tail. Just as I grab one with my right hand, a foot is crushed down onto it. I wince.

"And you call yourself a ninja. Heh, you're not worthy of that honourable title." He lifts his head proudly. I think quickly, casually running my hand through my hair.

"Who are you to talk about honour Shredder?" I pull a sharpened hairpin from its place in my mask, "Besides, I'm a kunoichi." I stab the pin into his foot. He withdraws it hastily and I grab my tessen. As I stand, claws rip into my left shoulder. I yelp in pain and wince, trying to keep my composure.

"Your dirty kunoichi tricks won't work with me." He comes towards me again, another flurry of attacks unleashed. I fend him off with my right handed tessen as blood trickles down my arm. He delivers a powerful kick to my stomach and I land over by Mikey, my shoulder burning as I land on it and my breathe taken away. I feel a hand on my right shoulder.

"Karmy?" Mikey's worried face looks into mine.

"I'm okay Mike." I breathe in deeply. I feel strong hands picking me up off my shoulder and my eyes drift to those deep brown eyes belonging to Donny, crouched beside me. I put my tessen away and Don looks at my shoulder, whilst rubbing his head.

"You okay Don?"

"Mm, just feel slightly concussed. Shredder can pack a good throw. Put your hand on your shoulder Karm, you need to slow down the bleeding." Donny straightens up, closes his eyes and crouches back down. Another two thumps come from beside us, Leo and Raph thrown aside too. Shredder seizes his chance, the whole family of turtles too injured to move for the moment. He laughs evilly as he steps towards us, his ninja looming behind him.

"How _nice_." His voices drips with sarcasm. "A family of freaks." We all huddle together. Donny trying to keep his eyes open from the blinding, spinning headache dominating his head. I try to ignore the searing pain in my shoulder whilst I'm sure Mikey tries his hardest to be brave, even though his ankle is killing him. Raph sits slumped against Leo slightly, his face contorted in pain from his shell hitting the wall and Leo holds his arms across his plastron, like if he took them away, he'd fall apart. "Now is my chance to finish you." He stands right in front of us, claws glittering.

"Shredder!" Splinter speaks defiantly from in front of the water tower. "You will not destroy my family again." The rat's eyes narrow and he jumps down from before it. Shredder turns, uninterested in us for the moment, his attention fixated on the mutated rat who dares to defy him.

"And you think, _old rat_, that you can protect them?" Splinter closes his eyes, a knowing smile flashing over his face at Shredder's ignorance. "Heh, this will be fun." Shredder strides over to Splinter.

"Sensei." I hear Leo whisper. Determined to stand and help his master, he struggles to his feet. When he bends his torso straight, he doubles over in pain.

"Leo, it's no use." Raph stands, leaning against the wall of the next, higher building for support. "We can't help."

"We can try Raph." Leo looks over at his brother who only shakes his head. My eyes turn to the battle before us. Shredder fights Splinter within the frame of the water tower. Don's eyes widen.

"Come on, we need to get up here." He glances up at the next building.

"Why?" Raph asks.

"No time to ask, just watch, when we get up there." Don glances nervously towards the water tower. Raph gives him a hand up, then Mikey. Don and Mikey hang over the ledge to help me up onto the building, Leo following me and Raph last. I sit slumped on the building, clutching onto my arm as more blood flows down my arm. Donny sits next to me.

"Just hold on a bit longer Karm." He puts an arm around my shell and I nod. Raph looks over at me, exhales heavily and turns his eyes back to Splinter.

I look down to the building roof, trying to take my mind from my shoulder. I hear creaking and look over to the water tower, looking very unsteady. Splinter facing The Shredder, fear no where to be seen. He delivers a kick into the back of the creaking water tower and it looms over Shredder. Splinter hurries over to building and Donny helps him up. As if in slow motion, water starts to seep out from the tower and the metal frame collapses onto Shredder. His ninja start to run as a huge wave of water rushes towards them, but it's too late. Shredder and his ninja are swept away off the rooftop. We sit tensely. Splinter gets up and peers over the edge of the roof.

"Is he…?" Raph asks.

"It is over Raphael. Let us go home." Splinter turns to us, his battered, bruised and bloodied children. Donny helps me up, supporting me, but steadying himself too. Raph and Mikey help each other to walk, whilst Leo gets up with Splinter's help. We all carefully and slowly make our way home, hoping business with Shredder is finished once and for all.


	11. Everything is back to normal

**Authors notes**- I do not the TMNT or any of their compadres.

You might think my idea about Raph might be a bit lame, but honestly, I know a guy who thinks he's tough, but faints at the site of blood, I thought it'd be quite funny if Raph was like it too, hee hee!

Everything is back to normal.

Donny ushers me straight into his lab as soon as we get home.

"Sorry Karm, I'm gunna have to stitch your shoulder up, and it's gunna sting." He says as I seat myself on the stool in his lab.

"Okay." I say biting my lip, glancing over to Raph hovering in the doorway.

"I'll, uh, leave you to it." He dashes off quickly and I turn to Donny puzzled.

"Don't tell him I told you but… Raph is a bit funny when it comes to lots of blood." He fills me in on Raph's edgy behaviour.

"Really?" I find it hard to imagine a big tough guy like Raph, who'd gotten into many scraps into the past and had probably come home covered in blood more than a few times could be funny about it.

Donny examines my stained red shoulder, still streaming with blood. He carefully washes it, preparing to stitch it.

"Do you want some painkillers?" Don reaches over to rummage in the cabinet with all the medical supplies in.

"No I'll be okay, I don't think I'll watch though." I grin weakly and Don just nods back. I turn my head away as he approaches my shoulder. "Don?"

"Mmhmm?" I feel a sharp, quick pain in my shoulder and hiss through my teeth, shutting my eyes closed. I compose myself to talk again.

"Well… you're the scientist of the family, I was wondering… do you think you might be able to tell how I was mutated?" The sharp pains continue through my shoulder.

"Well, I'm not sure. Takes a lot of high tech equipment, something I guess I lack in here. I don't even know what kind of DNA we have."

"Hmm, okay." I grit my teeth as Don continues to stitch my shoulder.

"Wondering about your origins?"

"I guess so." I reply, Shredder's words 'you were an **accident**' echoing in my head.

"Sorry I can't really help… unless…" Donny pauses in his speech.

"Unless?"

"No. It doesn't matter."

"No, what?" I insist.

"Well… maybe Stockman's old lab would have some information, maybe on the computers or in note form. That's something I won't ask of you Karm, I don't want you to relive being in that awful place. Besides, I may unable to repair the computers, they were pretty damaged."

"I wouldn't… I'd be okay going back. I'm the one who wants to find out after all."

"Wait until you're healed and maybe we'll take a look there."

"Thanks Donny."

There's a brief pause before Don speaks again, much more softly.

"Karm, no matter what, you're still family to us, okay?"

"If you say so."

Don continues to stitch up my wounds and we sit in silence. He only speaks when he finishes.

"Done. I'll bandage up your arm just to protect your stitches a bit more."

I glance back around in Don's general direction to see him reach over to the cabinet to pull out a dressing for my wounds. I look down at my carefully stitched shoulder.

"They'll make good battle scars for sure." I sigh half to myself, but Don hears my muttering, giving me a slightly smile. I find myself lost in thought as my purple banded brother bandages me up.

_'An accident... was I really an accident?'_

"Done." Donny's voice and clattering of medical equipment breaks my thoughts.

"Thanks brother." I glance at my partly white covered shoulder.

"No problem." He smiles at me and rubs his head.

"You should go lie down, you do too much thinking for your own good sometimes Donny." I pat his shoulder, flashing him a smile, before going upstairs into the bathroom to find a bath already running and Raph sitting on the edge of the bathtub. He glances up at me, a slight smile on his face.

"Hey Kar, how you feelin'?"

"My shoulder hurts like hell, but I guess i'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Might have a few aches in the mornin' though." He straightens up carefully.

"Sorry, were you going in the bath?"

"Naw, I was runnin' it for you, I did make you hide in a dumpster after all."

"Thanks." My face softens at his kindness.

"No prob. I got ya stuff all ready for bed, if ya need any help, just gimme a shout, I'll sit outside if ya need me."

"Okay." I rub my face and yawn. As I take my hands away, my head spins slightly as my eyes adjust to the light. I feel strong arms wrap around me and I look up into the worried eyes of Raphael. "Sorry, I just feel a bit out of it."

"I'm worried 'bout ya, did Donny say ya were alright?"

"He would have said something if he thought I'd lost too much blood… Stay in here with me." I wriggle in his arms, turning to face him.

"I can't do that Kar, you're a gal, you need your privacy."

"Alright Raph, but if I faint and crack my head open on the bath, I blame you."

His face shows contemplation at that thought, then worry.

"You win." He growls slightly at my blackmail.

"Not like you're complaining." I tease and a grin comes across his face. "Will you take my mask off me?" I turn my back to him and he unties my mask. I take my cell shell and tessen out of my obi, Raph taking them from me. He turns his back and I giggle slightly. I take off my remaining items and step into the soothing, warm bath, keeping my left arm resting on the side.

"You can turn around again Raph." He glances around at me, then takes the stool next to the bathtub. He sits with his right elbow resting on his knee, and his head resting in his hand. His other hand rests limply in his lap. I examine him. His eyes resting somewhere on the far wall, expression etched with worry but also thought and his body showing a few scrapes and bruises. I smile to myself, and he catches it.

"What you smilin' at?"

I glance up at his bemused expression.

"Nothing." I tear my eyes away again.

_'He's so...'_

"Karm, I-" Raph stops abruptly, as if his mouth was working before his brain. I look up at him frowning.

"Karm what?"

"Nothin'."

"Now you're being like me Raphael, what were you gunna say?" I say grinning slightly.

"Well, I was gunna say… I think ya need a wash, ya stink." He grins, reaches over into the bath and sends a sprinkling of water onto my face. I close my eyes and giggle at the grinning turtle.

"You smell more." I splash my foot in the water and droplets fall onto Raph. He only grins back, shaking his head. I smile at him and he catches my smile again, but this time, returns it with his smile.

"I-" I begin to say.

"Karm-" Raph begins to say.

We both laugh nervously. Raph looks away and I sigh quietly. I sit up in the bath, taking the sponge and running water over my plastron. Raph's eyes come back to rest on me and he must realise my struggle with only one arm. Without a word he takes the sponge to wash my shell, sitting on the edge of the bath. I relax at his gentle touch. Sweeping away my hair to my shoulder, he gently kisses the back of my neck. My eyes close and I relish the attention.

"You're beautiful Karm." Raph whispers to me.

"Thanks, but I guess I don't see what you do." I say softly.

"I wish you did." His hands trace the natural etchings on my shell, then wander to the Stockman-made groove in it by my right side.

"That's exactly why I don't, he's exactly why I don't. All these scars he's given me, inside and out."

Raph moves to sit on the floor and gazes up at me, before directing his eyes to the floor.

"I love ya even with all of your scars." Raph freezes as soon as he realises what he said and his head shoots up to look at my face. My heart pounds at my chest and my stomach fills with butterflies.

"Did you just say…?"

"Yeah, I did. I can't hide it no more. I love ya Karm. This really isn't the time or place I wanted to tell ya, but ya gotta know with me, nothin's ever perfect." He takes his eyes away from mine. "Sorry." His last word is gruff. I lean over the side of the bath to kiss his head.

"You got no reason to be sorry." I whisper.

"Ya do. Why would you want someone like me ta love ya? I knew I was lucky when ya said ya liked me, but I knew I was never lucky for ya ta love me. Ol' freakin' turtle luck, runnin' true ta form as always."

Raph gets up and heads for the door. I clamber out of the bath, carefully but quickly to grab his hand.

"Raph." He spins to look at me. I stand nervously trying to calm my nerves. I wrap my arms around his body and kiss him. His body stays tense but returns my kiss. I pull away to look into his eyes. "I love you too." His body tenses up even more and his eyes search mine, perhaps wondering if this is a kunoichi trick. I only smile warmly at him, letting him see I meant every word.

"But… me… you… why?!" He splutters.

"Because Raphael, you're the one who makes me feel the safest and the one who has helped me fight my demons. You've offered to kill Stockman for me, you even said on the second day of knowing me you said you'd keep those you cared about safe, even risking your own life for them. You've shown me so much kindness and protection, something I'd never thought I'd have. And you do it, even though I was ordered by Saki for your demise. You do it even though I'm scarred on the inside and out. You actually love me for exactly who I am." I kiss his cheek. He stands emotionless, trying to take in the conversation he just had. A sly grin comes across his face.

"Does this mean you'll sleep with me?"

I return his statement with a giggle and a devilish smile. I pull him towards me and then slink behind him. He turns to face me, slightly uneasy. I press my body against his, looking into his eyes.

"Raph…" I start forward so he steps backwards. I take my opportunity, the biggest, toughest brother completely off his guard. I press my plastron against his, put my hands on his shoulders and whisper to him, "…you've got no chance." I push him backwards, and the normally stealthy, composed ninja falls, clumsily landing in the bath. He sits there, completely in shock, legs hanging out the bath and his complete ninja attire, belt, kneepads, elbowpads, wristbands sai and even his mask, soaked. I grin, wrapping a towel around me, collecting my stuff and slipping out the bathroom with one last remark. "You need that bath because you smell more."

I rush down the corridor and into Mikey's room. I slam the door behind me and turn to a bemused Mikey, laying back on the bed, ankle propped up on a pillow and properly bandaged. He wolf whistles.

"Is it my birthday come early?" He grins. I roll my eyes and smirk.

"You wish little big brother." I put my stuff on the floor and sit on the edge of his bed.

"Who you hidin' from?" An unmistakable roar of swear words reaches us from the bathroom. "Ooh what did you do to Raph?" Mikey grins.

"Pushed him in the bath." I grin and readjust my towel as I see Mikey's eyes drifting to my bare thighs.

"Ha ha, nice one!" He holds up a hand to high three me and I oblige. The door to Mikey's room is flung open and a dripping Raph stands in the doorway looking totally unimpressed.

"Hiya bro!" Mikey grins.

"Hi Raph." I grin.

"You," he points at me, "you are goin' down!" He lunges for me, picks me up and slings me over his shoulder. I kick and squeal as he picks up my stuff from the floor.

"Night Raph, don't bust her up too much, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mikey's trademark laugh causes Donny to peak around the door. Raph barges past him, holding a squealing me.

"Everything's back to normal then!" I hear my second youngest brother exclaim.

Raph flings open my bedroom door and drops my stuff on the floor. He drops me onto the bed, being careful of my shoulder and sits next to me, half grimacing, half grinning.

"You're a pain in the shell."

I just grin up at him. He rolls his eyes before they drift to my bare thighs.

'_Definitely brothers.'_ I think of him and Mikey.

"Raph, my face is up here." I motion to my face and readjust my towel again. He looks up at me, only to grin and lean over to kiss me. I pull him into me as I return his kiss. He pulls away to speak.

"Thought I had no chance?"

"Not tonight." I push him away and sit up. He grins at my teasing nature.

"I'm freakin' soaked, thanks ta you Karm." He picks his soggy ninja tails up from their place, stuck to his shoulder. I giggle at him.

"Raphael." Splinter comes to the door of my bedroom. "Could you perhaps give me an explanation of why the bathroom is in such a state of disarray? Maybe you could also explain why there was such colourful language shouted too?"

He grins sheepishly.

"Sorry master Splinter, I'll go clean it up."

"Good. I have decided tomorrow we shall have a day of rest, I think you all need it. No doubt you will be blowing some steam off though Raphael?"

"Naw, a day of rest sounds good ta me."

"I am glad to hear my son. My daughter, how are your wounds?"

"All fixed up sensei, Donny is quite the doctor." I smile.

"He is indeed. Good night my children. Raphael I do not mind you staying with Karma a while longer but that bathroom needs cleaning."

"Yeah, I know. Night sensei."

"Good night sensei."

Splinter leaves us.

"Can I have another kiss before I have to go clean up _your_ mess?"

"Pssh, not if you say it like that." I fold my arms.

"Please?" He grins.

"Hmm." I kiss him on the cheek. "Night Raphy."

"Nighty Karm… Love you."

I smile broadly, "I love you."

He gets up, winks at me and leaves the room.

'_I'm so glad he feels the same!'_ I grin.


	12. It's a girl thing

**Authors notes**- I do not the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews The more reviews I get, the quicker I write!

It's a girl thing.

"Jeez, what is wrong with ya? Ahh, forget it, I don't wanna know! Screw ya!" were the last words to be yelled at me by Raph before he stormed off into his room and I ran off into the sewer tunnels and topside. I didn't care if anybody was following or if anybody heard me burst into tears, I just wanted to get the hell away.

_'Stupid hothead… I don't know what's wrong with me… I was just slightly upset and then he started having a damn go at me! I can't help it… he doesn't understand… I wish he would… sometimes it's like his only emotion is rage.'_

I sit on my favourite rooftop, unfortunately Raph's too, knees hugged up to my plastron and sniffling. The cloudy night shadows New York, and the warm glow of the bright lights does little to comfort me. I shift from the edge of the building, to sit on the roof and lean against the slight bit of building that protrudes from the roof on all sides. I curl up again, huddling myself and tears still trickling down my cheeks and onto my beak. My senses should have been on higher alert than they were, but my sorrow takes over all sense.

"Karma…" I look up to the voice, feeling frozen with fear. Luckily just my blue banded brother and leader, Leonardo. I look away to hide my tearstained face from him, perched on the edge of the building, neck craned to look over me. I hear my brother shift and then a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He can be a real _baka_ sometimes… I normally get the brunt of it, he shouldn't take it out on you. Sorry, if I'd hadn't been out running I would have stepped in."

"Mikey said didn't he?" I say quietly.

"Yeah he did, after I demanded why the dojo was in such a state." I sigh at the thought. Raph probably ended up ripping the punching bag from its place and throwing it across the room. "I thought maybe he'd calmed a little."

"Me too. I never thought…" I choke up, "I never thought he'd raise his voice at me like that."

The breath from a heavy sigh dances in my hair. I nuzzle into Leo's hand with my cheek and place my hand on his.

"What actually happened?" He says softly.

"I just was feeling upset today and I told him and he just kinda ignored it and I said 'Raph?' just to see if he'd listened and he blew up on me. He starting saying stuff like 'What the hell is your problem?' and 'Do you regret what you said last night?' and I just got more worked up and he just said 'Jeez, what is wrong with ya? Ahh, forget it, I don't wanna know! Screw ya!' and stormed into his room. I just ran out after that." I start sobbing again but a brotherly hug comforts me somewhat. I curl up into his side, head resting on his plastron.

"Do you not know why you were upset?"

"No, I just felt like I wanted to cry, for no reason." My sobs subside as Leo rubs the back of my shell.

"It's okay Karm, it's just Raph. You didn't do anything, he's just so… he gets caught up when it comes to feelings. He hates seeing you upset. I hate seeing you upset too, but I just deal with it better than Raph. Raph's reaction to somebody being upset is to disassociate himself from them, not to upset them more. He always thinks it's his fault, which some of the time it is, but he does it because he cares, he never means to hurt you."

"But what do I do Leo? I need him there for me and he doesn't seem to want to be."

"He does want to be there, he just doesn't know how. He's not sure how to react when it comes to feelings. If it comes to protecting somebody, he probably does it the best out of anyone in this world, he knows what to do. It's just, all those years of being the one who runs from things, we don't run to him to talk about our problems. When we were a lot younger, Mikey came to me or Don when he was crying, I guess I just got used to it. Mikey never went to Raph because Raph would just say 'Cheer up li'l bro', pat him on the shell and get on with what he was doing. Maybe subconsciously Raph sees it as nobody ever came to him before, so why should they now? I'm surprised he didn't say-"

"'Why don't you go talk to Leo, or Don about this instead.'"

Leo sighs, then mutters, "Hothead."

"You're telling me…"

"Come on, we better get back, we don't want to worry anyone." Leo gets to his feet and I stay crumpled on the floor. "I know, we'll take a detour via April's, I have something in mind that might make you feel better."

Inquisitively I look up at my brother and decide he's right. I get up and we make our way to April's, through the shadows and alleyways. It's not long before we're stood at her backdoor, waiting for an answer.

The slim, red haired woman comes to the door yawning. Her normally pinned up hair is flowing freely around her shoulders and she wears blue pyjamas.

"Leo? Karm? Is something wrong?" She opens the door to let us in.

"Nothing serious April, Karm and Raph just had a bit of a fall out." Leo lets me in before him and closes the door.

"Men." April rolls her eyes at me and I smile slightly. "He's just a guy Karm, don't worry about it, they're always jerks sometimes, turtles and humans alike." I glance around to Leo who looks bemused at his human friend. "C'mon, you deserve some ice cream."

My eyes light up and I grin at Leo, who smiles knowingly. We follow April upstairs, Leo and I taking seats on the sofa, whilst April dishes out three bowls of chocolate ice cream.

"Thanks Leo." I look up to the brother I'm curled up against.

"What for?" His brown eyes meet mine.

"Just doing what I needed Raph to do, comfort me."

"Anytime _imouto_." We exchange smiles and I search his eyes, showing something hidden.

"Here you go!" April hands Leo and I a bowl of ice cream.

"Thanks April."

"Thanks!" I grin up at her.

"No problem." She smiles and takes a place on the sofa.

"I'm just gunna call Don, tell him where we are and we'll home soon, I don't want anyone to worry." Leo puts his ice cream on the coffee table and gets up to go in the kitchen. I watch him walk into the kitchen and start to eat my ice cream.

"So what did you and Raph have a tiff about?" April turns her eyes away from the TV to look at me.

"Not much." I swallow a mouthful of sweet, cold chocolate.

Even though I've known Casey and April a few months, I'm still slightly nervous around them. I know humans are strange, they can be so mercurial, lovely one minute, spawn of Satan the next. I didn't really feel up to spilling my guts to a human, even a female human, even though she might understand that bit more. April must have sensed it, but insisted all the same.

"Aw, c'mon, it's only me, Leo's in the kitchen."

I glance over to the kitchen, to watch my brother subconsciously fiddle with his belt and frown whilst on the phone.

"I just… I felt upset today and Raph didn't understand why."

"Upset over what?" April's eyes show concern as I turn to face her.

"I-… I don't even know… I just felt like I could cry…" I shuffle my feet nervously, ice cream forgotten for the moment.

"Aww Karma." She puts her ice cream down and wraps her arms around me. "Some days I get like that too, it's a girl thing."

"Really?" I look up, believing for a moment I might not be the only one.

"Ya-huh! Ignore Raph, he's a man, he doesn't understand these things." She lets go of me and picks up her ice cream.

"So I'm not weird?"

"Not at all, I'd be more worried if you didn't have days like that." She smiles warmly and I smile back.

"Thanks April." I grin half to her, half to myself.

"I called home, Raph shut himself in his room according to Mikey."

"Lemme guess, he started to shout something like 'Raph's being a moody jerk!'?" April looks towards Leo who rolls his eyes and nods. "Thought so."

"We better get back soon anyway, we might go home to a massacre if we don't."

"Okay Leo." I start to finish off my ice cream but Leo doesn't touch his.

'_Probably worrying about his figure or something.' _I mentally roll my eyes.

Just as we go to leave April's, she hands me a small plastic bag.

"Whenever you feel like you need to cry again, all you'll need is this and you'll be fine. Of course, you're always welcome to visit if you need more."

I frown at her, bemused and thank her for the gift.

"See you soon."

"Bye April." Leo says walking out the back door.

"Bye April… thanks." I say slightly shyly and follow my brother out of the door.

"Take care going back!" She waves after us.

We mask ourselves into the shadows and head for the nearest manhole cover, a few alleyways away.

We're greeted by deadly silence as we walk into the lair. I glance around and head over to Donny's lab. I peek in his door to see him frowning over something, head in his hands.

"Has World War three happened yet?" Leo stands behind me and Donny looks up to us. He shakes his head and sighs.

"Leo, do me a favour, if you ever go off on some big journey, don't leave me as leader. I'm going to bed." The normally quite cheery and laid back Donatello makes his way to his bedroom, looking extremely stressed.

"Donny's stressed, I can only imagine what happened." Leo sighs and shakes his head. He heads over to sensei's door to find out how much havoc has been let loose in the short while he's been gone. I decide to check in on Mikey but leave Raph to brood.

I knock on my youngest older brother;s door and a pained 'come in' echoes from behind the door. I frown and enter to see Mikey slumped on his bed, bad ankle resting on a pillow.

"Hey Mike, what happened?" I sit on the edge of his bed.

"Raph happened is what." He looks up at me with watery blue eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" I cast a worried glance to his ankle.

"No, he left his freakin' roller blades out. I was skating and tripped over 'em, now my ankle's killin' me again!"

I sigh relieved, giving a sarcastic frown to my brother.

"Mikey you moron, you worried me." I get up and tug on his mask tails.

"Ha ha ha ha ha, fooled ya!" He laughs, the watery eyes gone.

"What's up with Donny anyway? He looked as if you shouted 'boo' to him, his blood pressure would soar dramatically."

"That's called being home alone with Michelangelo and Raphael." He grins and I can't help but laugh.

"Good night Mikey, you big fool."

"G'night Karm, will you just hand me that comic book on your way out?"

I pick up a Justice Force comic and give it to him. "Thanks sis!" He grins then engrosses himself in his comic. I smile and close his door, making my way to my room.

Collapsing on my bed, I sigh to myself. _'How long before Raph apologises?' _I shake my head as I think of my bad tempered boyfriend. I remember the bag April gave me and decide to examine the contents. I look inside it, seeing nothing looking breakable, and tip it out onto my bed. I grin broadly and thank April mentally. Before me lays the most wonderful thing to be created and something I only ever got on rare occasions, a big slab of chocolate.


	13. What's going on with Karm?

**Author notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres. Thanks for all the reviews

What's going on with Karm?

"Karm?" Raph's gruff voice pierces the door.

"I don't want to talk to anyone, go away."

After the morning drama, I had every reason to be the way I was being.

"Look Kar, I know things are a bit shit for ya right now-"

"Understatement of the year, Raphael."

"I'm sorry okay? I know I can be an asshole an' I shouldn't be, 'specially not ta you."

"Okay, I forgive you." I say more wanting him to go away to leave me staring at the ceiling than actually meaning it.

"Thanks… I'll try not ta be an asshole so much anymore." A brief silence passes. "How ya feelin'?"

"Like shit."

"Yeah, well, my head kinda hurts from yer scream this mornin', guess it wasn't pleasant for anybody." I stay silent. "April… well, she never really said what was up with ya, but that it wasn't anythin' ta worry 'bout, but… we're all kinda worryin' anyway… mind tellin' me what's wrong?"

"Mikey, no I'm not pregnant, Donny, no I haven't morphed into some strange creature and no Leo, I'm not hurt."

"Aww man, she's good." I hear Mikey say.

"Heh, she is, c'mon, let's leave them be." Leo takes charge and Don stays quiet. I hear the stairs patter with three pairs of feet, and sense only one presence by my door this time.

"So ya gunna tell me or am I gunna have ta bust down the door an' tickle it outta ya?"

I sigh to myself and carefully crawl off my bed to unlock my door. I open it and make my way back over to my bed to flop down and clutch a pillow to my plastron. I hear the door close and Raph sits on the bed next to me. He studies my face.

"Ya don't look so good Karm, can I get ya anythin'?"

"A new body." I mutter.

"Huh?" Raph frowns. I sigh, deciding I have to tell him sometime.

"Raph I… well… yanno how I've been kinda moody the past week?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, it's kinda to do with that… it's a bit of a girl thing."

"Whoa, hold on… are you sayin'… you… uh…" Raph catches on quick but struggles with his words.

"Yeah, guess the humanoid part of me reared it's ugly head, looks like I'm gunna be having _those_ times of the month." I say glumly. Raph sits next to me, his face knitted with worry and thoughts.

"So, I'm gunna hafta get used ta it, huh?"

"Yeah, guess so." I rub with one hand at the midsection of my plastron. Raph picks me up carefully in his arms and sits me on his lap. Tears start to spill down my cheeks.

"Why ya cryin' eh? My face that bad?" Raph handles my emotions much better.

"I just feel so stupid, screaming the whole lair down like that, but it was scary! Waking up to blankets and pyjamas covered with blood-"

"Kar," Raph closes his eyes, "no need for detail huh?"

"Sorry." I sniffle.

"S'okay, guess it would be kinda scary. Was scary for us, hearin' ya scream like that."

"Sorry."

"Hey don't be sorry." He brushes my hair back from my face. "Just don't freak us out next time huh?" He smiles at me slightly and I nod. I sigh playfully.

"What?" Raph frowns. I nod at the door and he grins knowingly. He puts me down on the bed carefully and creeps over to the door. He carefully wraps his hand around the handle and quick as a flash, throws open the door. Mikey falls onto the floor of my bedroom, whilst Don and Leo grab each other for support. Each of them grin sheepishly.

"Saves having to explain why your sister screamed the house down I guess." I smile weakly at my brothers.

"Well, it did make us wonder, Karm." Donny steps in, picking up Mikey from the floor.

"Sorry, I know we should respect your privacy more, but you worried us when you demanded only to see April, we all know you're still a bit wary of humans." Leo stands at the door, arms crossed over his plastron.

"It's okay, I don't have to explain it four times now."

"You do, I don't get it." Mikey cocks his head and Don rolls his eyes. He grabs Mikey by the arm and whispers to him. The youngest brother's face turns from confusion, to realisation, to shock.

"OHHH!… Ohh… oh."

"Now do you understand the screaming?"

"Entirely." Leo speaks for his family.

"Wait, Karm, doesn't this mean you can have babies?" The youngest brother speaks and everyone stares at him.

"Okay, I'm not sure what scares me more, the fact we could have mini Raph's running around or that Mikey figured that out first." Donny smiles.

"Ha ha, baby Raph's!" Mikey grins and Raph flips him off.

"Not just yet Mikey, I'm only just over this shock thanks." I smile.

"Besides, who'd want another hothead?" Leo smirks at his brother who smirks too.

"Me is who." The red banded turtle grins. "Not yet though, don't want somebody stealin' the ol' Raph charm just yet."

"Oh so help us when that happens." Donny smiles then his head frowns in thought.

"What's up Don?" Mikey sees the change in his face.

"Hmm, just thinking about if Karm did get pregnant-"

"Long way off!" I exclaim and Raph snorts.

"Okay, let's not worry about this yet then." Don smiles.

"We've invaded Karm long enough, we'll leave you to get some rest sister." Leo says ushering everyone out. I smile as they all leave, but I hear Raph start on Leo.

"Why had I gotta get out?"

"I wanna talk to you, c'mon, let's go to my room." Leo answers. I hear them walk away and quietly open my door. I tip toe down to Leo's room to listen.

"Raph, I know we've joked about this, but I wanna be serious, are you and Karm being careful?"

"What do you mean?" Raph's voice sounds wary.

"Well I'm guessing you've slept together-"

"Leo! I deserve more credit than that! So does Karm, she's no whore!"

"Okay, okay!"

"Jeez bro, nice to know you think so highly of me."

"Raph, it's not that, I know you've spent a few nights together in her bed, I just assumed-"

"Well don't! I ain't gunna just jump right in bed with her, I care 'bout her, she ain't just a lay."

"Okay Raph, I'm just looking out for you… I'm pleased you might be able to have a family, but you've got to think of the risks. We have so much going on in our lives, it would be crazy to start a family right now. I'm not stopping you, only advising you. Just think about it, okay?"

"Jonin as always, my brother." I hear Raph go for the door handle and start to make my way back to my room. Raph's last sentence must have dug at Leo as voices murmur from his room again. I decide to let it rest and make my way back to my bedroom.


	14. Left behind

**Author notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Left behind.

'_As always when being a mutant ninja turtle, the drama never stops.' _ I sigh to myself as I drag myself from my bed. You'd think fate would have given me a day off after yesterday, but no such luck. I rush downstairs to try and find some answers to why a piercing noise is pulsing through the lair.

"Jeez, what the hell is that?" Raph gets up from the sofa to go into Don's lab, seemingly where the noise is coming from. Splinter and Leo both appear, following Raph into Don's lab along with myself.

"Don, what is that noise?" Leo frowns.

"I have no idea. I was looking at these two crystals I found in the lair and Mikey decided to 'help' me. He put them together and they started to glow and make that high pitched sound."

"Are we in any danger Donatello?"

"I'm not quite sure sensei. I don't know what these crystals do, maybe I could run some tests." He sits down at his desk, our sensei nervously edging after him. Suddenly one of our alarms go off and Don rushes for his computer.

"A perimeter alarm has been tripped." He taps away at the keyboard to shut off the noise.

"By what?" Leo frowns at him. Don looks over to a few TVs, hooked up to display various points in the sewer tunnels. A figure runs across the screen in the bottom left, too quick for us to catch.

"What was that?!" Leo says startled.

"Sewer rats getting bigger." Raph draws his Sai and I smirk at his comment.

"We should check that out. Something is telling me this may lead to something more than it seems, maybe we should pack a bag to take with us, food, water, a sleeping bag, the necessities." Leo looks around at us, nodding in agreement. "Sorry Kar, it's probably best you don't come." Leo adapts to his leader role.

"What? Why?! Leo, if this is 'cause I'm a girl-"

"No, of course it's not." Leo frowns slightly.

"You're still injured Karm and not up to your full strength. We don't know how dangerous this may be. We don't want you to get injured anymore." Don looks up at me.

"But…" I glance around at the four brothers, defeated. Leo gives me a sympathetic look before heading up to his room to pack. Donny follows him, giving me a quiet 'sorry'. I'm left with my sensei, Mikey and Raph.

"We'll be back before you know it." Mikey grins at me, trying to lighten my spirits.

"Gives ya a break from this moron too." Raph playfully punches Mikey in the arm.

"I guess." I mutter. We all leave Don's lab, Raph and Mikey going off to pack, whilst I go to slump on the sofa, Splinter following.

"Karma, Leonardo is right, we do not want you to be harmed again." A soft paw placed is placed on my shoulder.

"But I feel as though they think I can't keep up. I haven't proved myself to them yet sensei, I'm not the powerful female counterpart of them."

"You may not be as powerful as them my daughter, but you are stealthier, quicker and more perceptive. You are an important part to our family, and without you, I am not sure whether we would be so strong. You also need to remember, your spirit and body are still mending. You were treated wrongly for so many years, you need time to heal. Within time you will be a strong kunoichi."

"I hope so master, I hope so."


	15. To April's

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Argh! I'm so sorry. I've had writers block. This chapter totally sucks btw, but it's kinda needed. Hopefully the story will pick up again soon.

To April's. 

I wake up and roll over the next day. Smiling to myself, I jump out of bed and throw on some clothes. I tiptoe past Mike's room and Don's room to stand outside Raph's room. I creep the door open and my heart sinks. No Raph. _'Out with his brothers, saving the world. Remember that next time Karm.' _

Sighing, I go downstairs for breakfast and the awful silence hits me. Master Splinter walks in the kitchen and smiles. He seems bothered by the silence too. I sit slumped at the table, stirring the cereal around and around in my bowl, uninterested in eating for that morning.

After my small breakfast I go upstairs to change the dressing on my shoulder. I unravel the bandages and examine the cuts, which are healing up well. I smile as I realise I'll be able to fight soon enough.

I spend a quiet day relaxing, drawing and practising with my tessen.

Later in the evening, I pick up my book to go downstairs to read, making most of the quiet time.

I read the same sentence for the third time, when one of our perimeter alarms goes off again. I frown and rush to Don's computer, luckily enough having had Don teach me how to use it. Splinter comes from his room, a worried expression on his face.

"What is it Karma?"

I study the cameras again, like we did the day before. I spot ninja skulking in the shadows, Foot ninja.

"Foot ninja sensei." I glance up at him. "Do you think they're looking for us?"

"I am not sure Karma… Hmm…" The old rat frowns with concentration.

"What about the guys? You don't think they've caught them do you?" I look up worriedly.

"Come Karma, we shall go find them. We must leave here and go to a safer place. Pack a bag, quickly."

I rush upstairs, throwing some things in a bag and rushing back downstairs. I shut the computer down and turn off the lights upstairs. Splinter comes out from his room. We turn off the downstairs lights and I make sure the door is secure.

Skulking through the tunnels, we search for any sign of the boys. Dodging the sounds of something nearby, we take cover for the third time. I recognise Mikey's voice and I smile at my master who smiles back. We carefully approach the voices and soon we sneak up on them. Splinter grabs Mikey's shoulder then covers his mouth. He gives out a muffled shriek, then realises who it is. The rest of the guys turn round to us.

"Karm." Raph whispers to me, then grins. We exchange a hug.

"I missed you." I whisper to him.

"I missed you too."

"Sensei, why are there Foot ninja down here?" Leo whispers.

"I do not know Leonardo, all I know is it is not safe for us to go back to our home."

"Then where do we go?" Mikey whispers.

"What about April's? She might let us crash for a while, until this blows over." Don shrugs.

"Call her Donny." Raph says hugging me.

"Okay." He opens his phone up to ring her. "Hey April… um, I know this is a huge thing to ask, but we have no choice, can we come crash for a while? I can't really explain right now… we can?… Thank you so much, we'll be there soon." He hangs up.

"April's it is." Leo shrugs and starts to lead us topside.

"Does that mean Chinese for dinner?" Mikey grins and Donny rolls his eyes, smacking the youngest brother around the head for good measure.

We emerge from a manhole cover, a few alleyways over from April's.

"Ya would think they'd build a manhole cover right next ta Second Time Around so mutant ninja turtles an' their rat sensei could visit their human friend that lives there without the threat of bein' caught an' dissected." Raph mutters as he sneaks into the alleyway to April's behind me. I smile, glad to be in his company again.

For the second time that week, I'm standing outside April's in the pitch black, waiting for the red haired human to come to the door. She comes to the door, greeting us warmly and let's us in.

"Hey April, fancy ordering in some Chinese?" Mikey grins and all of us sigh.


	16. Nothing to fear but fear itself

**Authors notes- **I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Thanks for all the reviews, sorry the story seems to be going so slow, hopefully this will hurry it along a little.

Nothing to fear but fear itself.

My eyes flutter open as the light filters through the blinds in April's lounge. I look around me to see Mikey asleep on the sofa, Don asleep on the top of it, and Leo asleep not far away from where Raph's snuggled next to me. Meanwhile, Splinter sleeps on the armchair.

The clock reads 5:35 am. Sighing, I drag myself out of my sleeping bag, straighten my pyjamas and go into the kitchen. I hear somebody yawn and I look round to see Leo awake too.

"Morning Leo." I smile.

"Good morning Karm." He gets out of his sleeping bag and starts to put on his ninja attire.

"Want a drink?" I get out a cup as the kettle boils.

"No thanks, I'm going to do a morning run whilst the city is still quiet." He ties his belt. I pick up my cup of coffee and wander over to the window. The morning light is dim and the sky overhead is tinted pinky red.

"Red sky in the morning..." I glance at him nervously.

"I won't be out long. If any bad weather picks up, I'll come straight back." He picks up his katana.

"Just take care of yourself, okay?" I sip at my coffee.

"I will." He opens the window, giving me a smile before disappearing onto the fire escape.

'_Leonardo, you push yourself too hard… just don't let anything happen to you…'_ I can't help but feel anxious over the safety of the Hamato clan's eldest brother.

I snuggle back into my sleeping bag and sip at my coffee. I glance around at April's living room, unable to shake the anxious feeling hanging over me. I try to shake the feeling, picking up my book. I lose myself in the story but the effort of reading makes my eyes heavy…

Shuffling from the other side of the room brings me back to consciousness. I open my eyes and they meet with the bare, open eyes of Donatello.

"Morning Donny." I say softly, then glance up at the clock, saying 7:47 am.

"Morning." He says sleepily. He frowns at his surroundings, and the dozing Mikey, looking like a caterpillar in his green sleeping bag below him, then registers April's apartment. I stretch and notice my coffee still on the table. I pick it up, the cup stone cold.

"Want a coffee?" I ask, getting up to make another.

"I'll go do it." He sits up then skilfully manoeuvres out from his sleeping bag. I get out from mine and follow Donny into the kitchen, taking a place at the table. He rubs at his brown eyes whilst the kettle boils. "Has Leo gone out training?"

"You guessed it." I pass my cup to Donny, who tips the cold contents into the sink. "Don't you think he pushes himself a bit hard? I mean, he went out at half 5."

"Well, I guess so. We're all just used to it by now, Leo normally gets up early to train, or puts in an extra hour or two." He gets out a cup for himself and fills both with coffee, putting sugar in mine.

"Hmm, it worries me slightly."

"Don't let it. Leo is the last person you should worry about, he can always take care of himself."

"I guess so." My eyes wander to the clock once again and it's not long before Donny joins me at the table with the two cups coffee. I give him a quiet 'thanks' and sip at it. We sit in thinking silence before I break it. "He's a good leader, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's not called Fearless Leader for no reason, though I guess he's fearful of something, like the rest of us, though I have no idea of what."

"What's your fear Donny?" I question. The third eldest turtle looks at me with unmasked eyes, frowning slightly as he thinks.

"Well, I am slightly claustrophobic."

"But we live in the sewers my brother." I smirk slightly.

"Heh, well, it's not quite like that. It's more of a fear of being trapped, not being able to escape. I know now that I can leave the sewers or my lab or my room at whatever time but when I was younger, I got scared, I thought I'd be trapped in the small space we called home forever."

"Are you scared of being caged?"

"Well, I guess." Don shuffles slightly. "Yeah, that does scare me, even just thinking of it."

"It won't ever happen, I promise." I smile warmly and Don smiles back.

"Aren't you claustrophobic? I mean, you were locked up in such a small space for such a long time."

"Guess I just got used to it seeing as I was there for such a long time." I shrug and sip at my coffee.

"Got any fears other than humans?"

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure… oh, yeah I do, daddy longlegs!" I squirm slightly at the thought. Donny laughs slightly. "It's not funny Donatello!"

"Sorry." He says whilst smiling.

"I'll lock you in a cupboard." I sip at my coffee, eyes set into a mock menacing stare.

"There's a daddy longlegs in your coffee." Don says dryly. I shriek and spit out the coffee, eying the cup suspiciously. My brother laughs at me.

"That wasn't funny."

"And the cupboard comment was?"

"Hm, fine."

"Karma." Donny yawns.

"Yeah yeah." I roll my eyes. "What's Raph scared of?" I smirk and cast my eyes towards the quietly snoring heap on the floor.

"Raph has a slight fear of insects… well, when I say slight, that may be an understatement. He's almost petrified of them."

I snicker slightly.

"So the big tough one is scared of itsy bitsy bugs?"

"Yup. If you ever find a daddy longlegs in your room, don't ask Raph to get it for you."

I grin to myself, storing the information for possible mischievous antics one day.

"I think Mikey may possibly have a fear of being ignored." I cast my eyes to the sleeping lump on the sofa.

"Most likely." Don rolls his eyes. "But what would we do without him?"

"I'm sure Raph and Leo would have killed each other, and you'd be a nervous wreck in the corner." I smirk.

"It's true. I can't stand being home alone with either Mike or Leo gone, Raph can drive anyone crazy, I'm not sure why you put up with him."

"Guess I'm already crazy." I smile.

"We already knew that." A smile in return then a brief silence.

"What were things like before me?"

Don glances into my eyes, then off into space.

"It was… I'm not sure how to describe it. It was a very testosterone driven household, everyone wanted to compete with each other. It was just crazy some days. Raph and Leo would just want to kill each other and all Mikey and I could do was watch. I'm surprise Master Splinter's stress levels weren't the end of him. Now you're here, Raph's calmed down so much. It's a good thing, but I worry."

"Why?" I frown slightly.

"Well, it's as if Raph is storing his temper away. If he lets it just eat at him, he'll end up erratic and most likely hurting himself or someone else really badly." The calm turtle lets his eyes wander to his sleeping brother. "I just hope he isn't letting it eat away at him."

"I see what you mean…" my eyes wander to Raphael also. A silence once again falls between myself and Don, but this time he breaks it.

"It's okay, I'm sure he's not, he would have snapped by now." Kind eyes meet mine and I nod. "I'm gunna take a shower anyway, before Mikey hogs the bathroom."

"Oh I know, he's worse than a girl." I grin.

"I'll see you in a while." Don gets up, his long frame holding him tall.

"See you later Don, thanks for the company."

"Anytime Karm." He smiles then puts his cup in the sink, before sleepily trailing off to the bathroom. I stare into my cup of lukewarm coffee and finish it off. I get up to the pile of dishes from the night before. As the sink fills, my eyes drift to the window where the orange light filters through the blinds.

'_I just hope he isn't letting it eat away at him.'_

I sigh as Don's words echo through my head. I push them to the back of my mind and start to do the dishes. My mind wanders off and Raph slinking his arms around my waist brings me back to reality. I smile at him as he places a kiss on my cheek.

"Good morning."

"Mornin' Karm, want some help?"

"Mmhmm, dry the dishes for me?" I ask and he starts to do it. "Did you sleep okay?"

"So-so, it's warmer in here, but the floor ain't too comfy." He stretches, his back cracking slightly.

"Hopefully we can go back home soon, I hate invading April's like this."

"We got no privacy." Raph grins cheekily.

"Oi you." I splash him with a few droplets of water.

"That's it, ya asked fer it." A mischievous grin creeps across Raph's features as he spins his towel, flicking it towards my legs. It whips across my thigh and I squeal.

"Ow, Raph!" I grab another towel, spinning it and aim it to whip across his thigh. He dodges it skilfully, whipping the towel towards me again. It cracks against my knuckles and I cry out in pain whilst giggling. I dip the towel into the water in the sink and whip out at Raph. The towel catches his hip and he grunts.

"Ow, that's not fair, you got a wet towel." He frowns playfully and I stick out my tongue.

"Good morning my children." Splinter makes his way to the kitchen table and seats himself. "It is good to see you so energetic so early."

I grin at my master and Raph catches me off guard, whipping the towel across my thigh.

"Owww!" I giggle. Throwing down the towel, I jump at Raph and he catches me in his arms. I wrap my legs and his waist and my arms around his neck. I lick his cheek and he looks at me, thoroughly unimpressed. I give him a cute grin, before jumping down from his arms. As I take up the job of washing dishes again, Raph makes Splinter some tea.

"Where is your brother?"

"He went out for a run sensei, he said he wouldn't be long." I say.

"_Arigato_ my daughter."

April comes into the kitchen yawning, her red hair neatly brushed but still in her pyjamas.

"Good morning Ms O'Neill." Splinter greets the young woman warmly.

"Good morning master Splinter, I almost forgot I had turtles living in my house." She takes a seat at her table.

"Drink April?" Raph asks setting Splinter's tea in front of him.

"A coffee please Raph, black and one sugar."

"Like Don's coffee, I know." Raph says, and as he turns to me, I see his smirk. "Speakin' o' the devil." His amber eyes cast to his younger brother coming from the bathroom and into the kitchen, lower half wrapped in a towel.

"Morning Donny." April says cheerily.

"Uh, morning April."

"Coverin' up yer modesty bro?" Raph teases Don.

"Shut up Raph." I catch Don's cheeks flush before he turns his back to Raph to go into the lounge. I smile at my shy brother as I drain away the water from the sink. I wipe my wet hands on a towel and go after my brother.

Donny warily looks up as he ties on his purple mask, relaxing upon realising it's me. I smile at him and sit on the arm of the chair he's sitting on.

"What?" He asks irritably.

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you were okay.

"I'm fine." He gets up, and makes his way over to the window. The rain patters against the glass and my warning to Leo replays in my head. I sigh and shake away the thoughts. I pick up my bag and make my way into the bathroom to get dressed.

When I come out, Mikey is finally awake and cooking breakfast, his singing making his presence known. I sit on the sofa, unravelling my bandages to examine the two stitched gashes adorning my shoulder. Raph sits down beside me, looking at my shoulder.

"Some good battles scars ya got there Kar."

"Damn Saki." I grumble. "I hope he got what he damn well deserved."

"Me too."

"Anyway, what's for breakfast?"

"Whatever Mike is rustling up, c'mon, let's go see."

I stuff the bandages into my bag, cast my eyes towards Don still staring out the window, then follow Raph into the kitchen.

"♪_Howww d'ya like your eggs in the mornin', I like mine with a kiiiss_♪"

"Mornin' Mike." Raph pats his little brother on the shell.

"Morning Michelangelo." I say after kissing his cheek. He turns to face me, a cheeky grin stretching across his face.

"So I just have to sing to get a kiss?"

"There's no catching you out is there?" I grin and Raph rolls his eyes.

"Nope, never!" He turns his attention back to the frying pan.

"Mikey, will ya try not ta scramble the eggs this mornin' bro?" Raph asks.

"Ahh I thought you liked 'em scrambled Raph. I'll try though." Another cheeky grin.

I take my place next to Raph who glances up at the clock.

"When was it Leo went out Kar?" His eyes turn to me.

"Uhhh… about 25 to 6 I think." I glance at the clock, now reading 6 minutes to 9 o' clock.

"He should be back." A grave look falls across Raph's face.

"Your brother has been out for long periods before Raphael."

"I guess so sensei." Raph looks to our father, looking not worried in the slightest, but the way he flicks his long tail gives away some emotion he isn't showing.

"Yo Donny, breakfast is up! April, c'mon, before Raph eats it all!" Mikey puts different plates down, containing, bacon, eggs and toast. Don and April bump into each other on the way into the kitchen and straight away Don's cheeks flush a dark green.

"Sorry Donny!" April says genuinely, holding onto his shoulders to keep her balance.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." He allows April into the kitchen first and I turn my eyes to Mikey.

"Leo's gunna miss Mikey breakfast! Oh well, his loss." The youngest brother seats himself and begins to put food on his plate. With everyone seated, we all start to eat. Quiet conversation erupts around the table, but a sense of apprehension hangs over everyone.

After breakfast, I take a place on the sofa next to Donny whilst Raph and Mike 'help' April with the dishes.

"Are you okay Donny? You've seemed edgy all morning."

"What do you mean by edgy?" He glances at me nervously.

"You know what I mean." I search his brown eyes, now fixated on the TV.

"I'm just-I-… I'm worried about Leo…" He rubs the back of his neck nervously.

"Mm? Why?"

"Well, he's been out for a long time now, something may have happened…"

"Yeah! Maybe he got abducted by aliens!" Mikey shouts from the kitchen.

"I think you were the one abducted Mikey, 'cause, yanno, you ain't normal."

"In case you didn't notice Raph, none of us are normal, we're giant mutated turtles who know ninjitsu!"

The two brothers continue to bicker and I roll my eyes.

"Kids." I hear Splinter mutter from his place at the table.

"Karm?"

I turn to my soft spoken brother.

"Yeah Don?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"Well… it's just…" Don fidgets.

"It's okay Donny, you can tell me."

Giving a warm smile to my brother, he gives one back in return. Before my gentle mannered brother can tell me his secret, the window not far away from us shatters into thousands of silvers slithers. The rain pours in through the open window and the red curtain flutters in the howling wind. The sky overhead is tinted with grey and almost black in places, but none of that matters. What matters is why the window shattered, why the rain pours in and why the curtain flutters in the wind.

My three brothers, sensei and friend all stand frozen in fear as the reason lies in a bleeding, bruised figure on the floor. And the figure is Leonardo.


	17. Ambush!

**Authors notes- **I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

This chapter contains a little bit of swearing, I'm sorry, but it's something I think Raph needs sometimes. Hopefully it's not too violent either. I hope you enjoy.

Ambush!

"Leo!" A red and dark green figure rushes past me and crouches next to his brother. Mikey jitters by the sofa, whilst Don takes a place next to Leo.

"Is he…?" Mikey asks quietly and I go over to my orange banded brother to comfort him.

"No Mikey, he's breathing, barely." Don's fingers rush over Leo's wrist, searching for a pulse. "And his pulse is still quite strong." Long fingers dance along Leo's left arm, which rests across his plastron at a strange angle. Blood trickles down his cheek, not to mention the other dozen or so cuts covering his arms and legs. Raph gathers Leo's head into his lap and his fingers carefully caress Leo's unhurt cheek lovingly. Fear, pain and anger control Raph's features, but as always, the anger rules over the other emotions.

"Son of a bitch, I'll kill whoever did this to you bro." Raph's word come out as a hiss.

Splinter hovers nearby, holding himself back from gathering his son into his arms. April puts a delicate hand onto the old ninjitsu masters shoulder, whilst holding a hand to her mouth, suppressing a sob. My youngest older brother shakes in my arms, trying his hardest not to break down, whilst I do the same. My hands stroke his shell whilst his hands clutch my shoulders, just needing somebody to hold him. I nuzzle my beak into his neck and I hear a faint whimper of 'please say he'll be okay'.

"He'll be okay Mikey." My voice cracks.

"Raph, we need to move him." Don pushes all emotions out of the way to take care of his leader, but I can see in his eyes, his heart is breaking from the state of his brother.

As Raph goes to move, a weak hand reaches out for him. Brown eyes meet amber eyes.

"Raph…"

"Leo…"

"You need… to go… he's back…"

"It's okay bro," Raph lays a hand on Leo's forehead, "you're okay now, we're all okay. We just need ta help ya an' then we can get the bastards who did this to ya-"

"Raph… it's Shredder… he's back…" Leo's strained words meet a deadly silence.

"Leo, that's impossible, we finished him." Donny looks into Leo's eyes. "Maybe he's concussed…" He half mumbles.

"Donny, listen…" A sharp intake of breathe and a pained expression, "…he's back…" Leo's whole body shakes with the effort to breathe.

Mikey's breath dances along my neck as he tries not to cry. I hug him tighter, rubbing his shell and hushing him.

"Okay Leo, don't talk anymore, okay? We'll look after you now-"

"Don, we need… gotta go… he's here…" Leo's eyes drift to the window. Don follows his oldest brother's gaze then draws his Bo staff. Splinter takes Raph's place as he stands too.

"Karm, Mike, you gotta move Leo. Sensei, April, stay with him." Don takes charge.

"Donatello-"

"Sensei, right about now there isn't time to explain, just do it."

Breaking out from our hug, I stroke Mikey's cheek.

"Mikey, c'mon, you heard Donny yeah? We gotta move Leo onto the sofa, carefully, can you do that for me?"

He nods solemnly. I take Leo's shoulders and his eyes flicker to me. My heart breaks as I see the pain in his eyes and I have to hold back the tears threatening to come and never to stop. Mikey carefully takes his brothers legs and we carefully lay him on the sofa. Mikey rushes to the aid of his brothers where Foot ninja are piling through the windows. I go to rush after him, when a small tug on my obi belt tails holds me back. I turn to Leo, kneeling by his side and taking his hand.

"Kar… Shredder wants you… he wants to take you back…"

"I won't let him. I am **not** going back there."

"Don't… just… if he catches you… let him-"

"No Leo." I narrow my eyes. "If I go back to Stockman, I'll kill him, I swear. And for what Shredder has done to us, I'll kill him too."

"I'm sorry." Leo squeezes my hand.

"What for?"

"I didn't… I didn't take care… I led them back here… I've… I've screwed up Karma. I'm sorry, my sister."

"Shush, Leo, it's okay, you didn't fail us as a leader. Just rest now."

His body shakes again with the effort to breathe. I kiss his head and get up, drawing my tessen. Splinter and April take my place. I survey the scene, my brothers clashing against Foot ninja after Foot ninja. Shaking with anger, I rush into the midst of battle. I soon realise why Splinter tells Raph not to go into battle clouded with anger, it soon takes over and you end up doing something stupid. A chain wraps around my stitched arm and I hiss in pain. The chain slides off and I look down at the ninja knocked out cold.

"Karma, my daughter, you must not let your anger cloud you." My father had come to my rescue, "We need to get Leonardo out from here to a safer place." I clash with a katana wielding ninja.

"You're right sensei, we're outnumbered." I glance around and see ninja approaching April and Leo on the sofa. My eyes meet with my master and he nods. I trip the ninja and rush through the crowd of black dressed ninja, moving too quickly to be caught. I take down the two advancing on April with ease.

"We need to get out." I glance at her.

"Down through the shop." She says and I nod. I notice Mikey fighting near the door.

"Mikey, we're heading out." I nod to the door, then turn to ninja advancing towards me. I block with my tessen, then swipe out with them. The ninja go stumbling backwards, but advance once again. I give one a kick to the stomach and the other I hit with my folded tessen. I put my weapons into my belt and help Leo to his feet. "Don, Raph, sensei, c'mon!" I shout across to the windows. Donny quickly makes his way over, taking Leo from me and walking him towards the door. April follows and Splinter and I keep back the ninja trying to follow. Splinter goes through the door, heading downstairs after his three sons and human friend. I spot Raph still fighting the flock of ninja pouring through the window.

"Raph!" I shout, whilst giving a vicious punch to the cheek of a ninja.

"Go! I'll keep 'em, busy up here, I'll follow ya down." He shouts back. I hesitate. "Kar, go! You need ta get Leo the hell outta here!" His eyes spot me amongst the ninja. He fights viciously and tenaciously. I nod, kicking back a few ninja, then follow the rest of my family downstairs. Splinter sits next to Leo on the stairs, whilst April crouches in front of him. I rest a hand on my injured brother's shoulder briefly, then join Don and Mike at the door to the shop.

"Think anyone's in there?" Mikey jitters outside the door and Don glances at me.

"Only one way to find out." My hand hovers over the door handle whilst my chest still heaves from the quick-paced fight. I fling the door open and my eyes adjust to the dark. Don and Mikey step into the shop behind me, too searching for any signs.

"I think the coast is clear." Mikey turns back to his sensei. I see a glint of something heading towards Mike. Quickly, I dive for my brother, pushing him to the floor. The more alert Don, defends himself with his bo staff and on closer examination, sees two shuriken protruding from his staff.

"Thanks sis."

"No probs Mikey, but stay on alert yeah?" I say whilst helping him up.

"Mike, Kar." Donny's voice wavers. I turn back to see four ninja, completely different from the Foot ninja. Taller, stronger, darker, they stand poised with their weapons. A red cape surrounds each of their strong shoulders and wide brimmed hats shield their faces.

"Whoa, nice hats." Mikey grins half heartedly. I can't help but smirk at my brother, ever the joker, even in the worst possible situations.

"Shredder's elite guard." My masters voice reaches me from the door. "Raphael! I shall take your place, you are needed downstairs at once."

I draw my tessen and Mikey spins one of his nunchucks. The most forward guard straightens up and I catch a glimpse of his face. Bright red eyes flash from a shadowed, sharp face.

"There's more than meets the eye to these." I mutter to Donny.

"I have heard the same could be said of you, little kunoichi." The guard that straightened up speaks, his red eyes meeting mine. I put my tessen up defensively before me and Raph joins us.

"Nice hats." Raph almost mirrors Mikey.

"You think so bro? So did I." Mikey's tone is joking, but his face is grave.

"Enough of the jokes." The same guard that spoke to me speaks once again, and raises his spear. The others dive towards my brothers and I patiently wait for the one in front of me to take a swing. "We don't want to hurt you," he steps to his right and I step to mine, "in fact, our job is to capture you unharmed," he takes another step then quickly swings his spear forward and I jump backwards to avoid it, "but if we have to, we will."

I stay in my crouched position.

"I'm not going back." I pull shuriken from my obi and throw them towards him. He quickly knocks them away with his spear and advances forward. I dodge his attacks well, my small body giving me an advantage on the agility front. I spin around him and kick out at his back. He stumbles forward, but quickly regains himself, throwing his spear towards me. I duck and watch as it flies towards the wall. I narrow my eyes and attack him. I swipe at him with my tessen, then deliver kick after punch to him, but his agility almost matches mine. With powerful punches, he knocks my tessen from my hand. We stand only inches from each other. He steps to the side again and I do the same, pulling a sharpened hairpin from my hair. I conceal it in my hands as we circle each other. I jump at him unexpectedly and thrust the pin into his shoulder. He shrieks then disappears into a cloud of smoke. I turn a full circle, searching for him whilst putting my hairpin back into my hair.

Taking the opportunity, I rush for my weapons and as I clutch them within my grasp, a foot connects with my shell, knocking me over. I quickly jump up to see a spear coming towards me. I dodge to the side to see the same ninja I was fighting before standing in front of me. He laughs at my confusion as I frown.

"You were right, little kunoichi, there is more to us than meets the eye. My master was also right, there is more to you than meets the eye."

I do a backwards flip, trying to distance myself from him.

"Who may your master be?" I fold my fans up.

"Heh, you shall see, soon enough." He looks towards the ninja very similar to him, but each wielding a different weapon. "Do you really want to be on the losing side?" He asks matter-of-factly.

"No I don't, hence why I'm on their side." My eyes flick to Don, who I can see fighting to the side of me. He flicks the blunt end of his spear towards my feet but I jump to the side, spin around and kick at his chest. He stumbles backwards then regains himself.

"You belong with us you know."

"No, you think I belong to you. I'm not an object." I say defiantly. He steps towards me, towering over me, his red eyes locking with mine.

"You won't be saying that soon." He delivers a kick towards me and I stumble backwards. Once again, a cloud of smoke and he's disappeared. My chest heaves with exertion and my eyes examine the room. None of the elite to be seen anywhere. Don and Mike standing bewildered, whilst Raph crouches near Leo in an injured heap in the middle of the floor. I rush over to my red and blue banded brothers and crouch beside Leo. His eyes flicker open to me and I smile weakly. Don and Mikey make their way over to us, standing protectively over Leo, searching for the elite guard. They all reappear before us, two either side of the shop door. Master Splinter jumps before us, wielding his walking stick in front of him.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Mikey asks in a hushed tone.

"They're waiting Mikey." Don replies.

"What for?"

"I'm not sure." I hear the second youngest brother shuffle behind me.

My eyes drift to Leo, then to the door as it's thrown open, almost coming off its hinges. A figure stands in the doorway, shadowed for the moment, though his evil laugh is unmistakable. I glance down at Leo.

'_He was right.'_

"You freaks have been a thorn in my side for long enough, it's time to dispose of you." Shredder steps into the shop, as tall, as proud and as powerful as always.

"It can't be… who could survive that fall…?" Donny mumbles to himself.

"Shredder! You are dishonourable! Attacking us with shear numbers and ambushes!" Splinter almost spits at him.

"And you know anything of honour, _rat?_" His red eyes drift to Splinter. "I am here for my revenge, nobody opposes the Shredder and lives!" I hear Raph growl at Shredder's words.

"Yer **dead** Shredder!" Raph rushes in towards Shredder, throwing vicious attacks at him. I look down towards Leo and glance around the shop. April makes her way over to me.

"Look after him, okay? And we'll make sure we look after you." I draw my tessen and make my way towards Shredder, who is fighting off Mikey as Raph gathers himself from the floor. Mikey gets thrown to the side and I step up to the powerful human. He turns to me and I hear him laugh under his breath.

"You think you can take me on? Still injured too? Heh, as foolish as ever Karma."

I narrow my eyes and lunge towards him. I fight almost as viciously as Raph, but with much more speed. Either way, I get thrown to the side. I lay on my back, my shoulder throbbing with pain. I breathe in deeply and sit up, clutching at my injured shoulder.

"Finish them," Shredder looks at his elite then points his claws towards my brothers, all previously thrown to the side by Shredder, "capture the experiment and leave the vermin to me." His eyes narrow to Splinter, standing defiantly in front of him. The same spear wielding elite guard makes his way over to me, laughing evilly, like his master.

"Changed your mind yet?" He stands over me and I give him a dark look. "A pity, you were a worthy opponent." As he raises the blunt end of his spear to knock me unconscious, I hear a familiar sound outside. I frown, puzzled, but realise it's heading straight towards the shop. I watch the elite frown also, then get throw across the room as a motorcycle collides with him. I sit stunned as the elite crashes into a wall. The other three stand before the motorcycle and my hooded saviour revs the engine. He races towards them, spinning the motorcycle so its side rams into the elite. Turning off the engine, he gets off. He comes over to me and holds out his hand. Taking the hand cautiously, he helps me up.

"Hey Kar, relax chick, it's me." The hood is thrown back and shoulder length black hair is revealed as well as a white hockey mask. I step backwards, still cautious, when Raph speaks out.

"Case!" The red banded turtle heaves himself up from the floor, rubbing his head. The mask is flipped up onto the top of the jet black hair and Casey's familiar grey and blue eyes look at me. I smile weakly.

"Thanks Casey, but… why did you help me?"

"You're one o' the family chick, we gotta stick together." He puts a hand on my good shoulder, then pulls out his hockey stick, racing after the elite picking himself up from the wall. I stand, puzzled by the kindness shown by the human.

'_Maybe Don was right, some humans are okay, and I guess April and Casey are okay.'_

I come to my senses as I realise my brothers and Casey are fighting off a hoard of Foot ninja. Joining with them, I fold my fans, delivering heavy blows to any ninja coming towards me. I hear the door burst open and Hun comes charging into the room.

"When did elephant man get here?" I exclaim.

"He came to crash the party, but yanno, no invite, no entry." Raph says fighting off two katana wielding ninja. Casey rushes off towards Hun, who's heading towards Leo and April. I smile to myself, glad that he's on our side. He manages to throw the huge man across the room, making him stumble into three Foot ninja charging towards him.

We continue to fight off the many ninja when police sirens echo down the street.

"Oh yeah, just what we need!" Raph punches a ninja then spins around to kick another in the face.

"Raph watch out!" I pull him back as a katana races past his shell.

"Whoa, thanks Kar." He says as I turn to stand shell to shell with him. He hooks his arms under mine and lifts me up onto his shell. I kick my feet out and they come into contact with two ninja, which fall back, taking out another two. I spin around Raph when I land and kick at the ninja advancing towards his side.

A sudden crash takes my attention and I see Shredder standing before Splinter, a crumpled bookcase between them. Leo stands before the bookcase, breathing heavily, then crumples to his knees. The lapse in my concentration gives a Foot ninja the chance to kick my feet beneath me. I land with a hard crash on my bad shoulder. The black clothed ninja looms over me and I take shuriken from my belt and throw them towards him. As he steps back, I get to my feet, holding my tessen protectively in front of me.

"My children, we must retreat." My masters voice reaches me.

"Sounds good, even ta me, but where?!" Raph holds his sai in front of him, backing towards a wall as ninja advance.

"There's a storage cupboard, we can hold out in there." April shouts out to us. I notice Mikey near me and grab my brothers wrist.

"C'mon Mike, we ain't winning this one." I pull him through the crowd of ninja quickly, heading into where Splinter and April are helping Leo into. Donny is on our tails, with Raph and Casey just behind him. Raph pulls the door closed and puts his weight behind it. I notice Donny close his eyes and exhale heavily.

"Great, small, dark and no way out, how are we s'posed ta make a last stand here?" Raph grunts.

"Not to mention claustrophobic." Don mutters.

"We need to get Leo out of here, he's getting worse." April keeps her vigil by Leo's side.

"But how? In case ya hadn't noticed April, this is the only way out." Raph motions to the door he's leaning against.

"It's awfully quiet out there though…" I muse.

"Yeah, maybe we scared 'em off?" Mikey adds his thoughts.

"By hiding in a closet?" Raph gives his brother a sarcastic look.

"It's a walk in freezer actually Raph, once upon a time this was a grocery store."

"Fascinatin'." Raph raises an eye ridge. "Ouch!" He pulls his hand back from the door and steps away.

"What?" I ask.

"This door's kinda hot…"

Splinter sniffs.

"I smell smoke…" The old master cocks his head.

"And gas…" Donny looks around worriedly.

"Oh shit." Raph turns on the door, jamming his sai into the edge of the door. "It's jammed!"

"Shit." I hear Donny mutter under his breath. I look around frantically. With our leader out of action, our level headed brother panicking due to claustrophobia and Raph getting even more irate, it looks as though we won't be getting out of this one…


	18. Sometimes goodbye's the only way

**Authors notes**- I don't own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Sometimes goodbye's the only way. 

I take in a deep breath, looking at my whole family terrified.

"April, can you remember if there is anywhere we can get out of here?"

"I don't know Karm, um… I can't think." Her eyes drift to Don, almost hyperventilating and Raph jamming his sai into the hinges of the door.

"Donny, calm down, we're not going to be trapped in here forever. Raph, stop hammering at the door, let April think." I turn to each of the brothers as I mention them.

"Uh… over there! There was, a um, where the freezer or something was in the wall."

I scramble over to where April points, and move a big chest out of the way. Meanwhile, smoke starts to pour in under the door and Raph backs up, coughing.

"Anytime now saving our asses Kar."

I push the chest back to reveal a grate on the wall.

"Raph, a sai, quick!"

He throws one of his weapons to me and I try to pry the grate open. He crouches next to me, prying his other sai into the grate. We manage to pull it off between us.

"Sensei, April, c'mon." Raph stands up as our sensei and friend squeeze through the grate. Donny next, carrying Leo, myself, Mikey quickly on my tail with Casey and Raph not far behind. As soon as Raph stumbles out and straightens up, the windows blow out. We all dive down, protecting one another and gradually stand.

Donny holds Leo up, trying to keep his brother sheltered from the rain still hammering down. Raph comes over to me, putting a hand on my shell, whilst Casey takes a sobbing April in his arms.

"I am sorry Ms O'Neil, but we must leave the past behind if we are to have a future." Splinter goes over to April.

"Where do we go sensei?" Mikey asks, his grin no where to be seen.

"We need to go somewhere safe, and fast, for Leo's sake." Donny looks down at his injured brother, fighting consciousness. Raph takes Don's place.

"We can't go to the lair, that's for sure."

"Kar's right, there's an army of Foot down there, and we can't fight anymore." Donny sighs.

"We must run my children, my friends. We cannot stay in New York, it is a dangerous place."

"I think I know the place." Casey grins slightly.

* * *

"How's he holding up Donny?" I shuffle over to my purple banded brother sitting by Leo's side. We're all bundled in the back of Casey's trailer, as he drives us to his grandmother's house. Mikey and Raph are sleeping fitfully, wrapped up in blankets, whilst Splinter sleeps, or meditates, I'm never quite sure, in the corner.

"He's still unconscious, but his vital signs are good." Worried brown eyes gaze down at Leo.

"Why do you think he just slipped out of consciousness?"

"I'm not sure, I think it's exhaustion, there's no signs of head injuries, only cuts and bruises from his fall. He tried to help us when he was in a weak state, you know how Leo is, he pushes himself no matter what, especially when it comes to family."

"Do you think he'll wake up soon?"

We exchange worried glances.

"I'm sure with rest, plenty of it, he should be fine. I guess we need to see how long he stays unconscious." Don yawns.

"You should catch some rest too, you're shattered. You've done so much for this family the past few hours."

"Nonsense, you pulled us altogether when we needed it." He pulls his blanket around his shoulders.

"Only because you were panicking over claustrophobia, normally you're the one to pull us together."

Don shakes his head, but doesn't verbally protest anymore. Once again, he yawns and I give him a stern look.

"10 minutes at the most, okay? Wake me if Leo wakes up, or if…"

"I know Donny." I smile at my brother. He lays down in the crowded space, tucking up his long legs. It's not long before Don's plastron rises and falls softly as he sleeps. I gaze to Leo, laying in front of me. Sighing, I lay a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. Satisfied with it, I turn my gaze to poor Mikey, squeezed in at the back of the trailer by the doors. Curled up at Leo's feet like a loyal puppy, he even twitches slightly in his sleep. I can't help but smile.

A yawn comes from beside me and I glance down to Raph rubbing his face.

"Hi sleeping beauty." I tease, getting a grumpy look in return. The strongest turtle sits up, immediately shivering as the blanket slides from his plastron. He wraps the blanket around him then beckons me to cuddle up to him. I curl up by his side, thankful for the bit of room to stretch my legs.

"How is he?"

"Still unconscious, Donny thinks it might just be exhaustion, he doesn't think he hit his head at all." I return softly. I hear Raph's back crack slightly as he stretches and he quietly groans in pain. "What's wrong?" I direct my gaze up to him.

"Nothin', I just got the blunt end o' a axe ta the ribs, even with my plastron in the way, it damned hurt." Raph says wrapping his arm around my back. I snuggle under his arm, leaning into his side and sneak an arm from under my blanket to under his to rub his plastron. He relaxes against the trailer. "Ya put me ta shame sometimes yanno."

"Mmm? How so?"

"Yer a good kunoichi Karm, ya did great against the elite."

"Thanks." I flush slightly at the compliment. "You ain't bad yourself." I say grinning. He laughs slightly, then tilts my chin up so I look at him. His amber eyes dominant with worry for his oldest brother, but also a look of contentment.

"I love ya." He says softly.

"I love you too, ninja boy." I say tenderly back before my lips meet with Raph's.


	19. Family

**Authors notes**- I don't own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Family.

We pull up outside Casey's grandmother's house a few hours later. Don and Raph help Leo inside then lay him on the sofa, carefully wrapping him up in blankets. I sigh and sit in front of the burnt out fire.

"Me an' April will go get some supplies, you guys will be okay right?" Casey says quietly.

"We'll be fine Case." Raph says back equally as quiet. I turn to see him knelt by his eldest brothers side whilst Donny places his injured arm across his plastron, unable to treat his wounds for now for lack of supplies.

"We'll be as quick as possible." The two humans leave.

Leo lays on the sofa, breathing softly, his chest hitching at times from fitful sleep.

"Do you think he can hear us?" Donny looks over.

"Maybe Donatello, the voice of a loved one is said to be able to guide back a lost spirit."

Don kneels in front of him and starts to tell him a childhood story. I lose myself in my thoughts, Don's story seeping into my head.

'Such a happy childhood, such a happy family… what did I have? A sadistic scientist as the only thing even close as family… I don't even know anything of my origins… I guess my family is Stockman, and Saki… shit, the Foot are my family… I don't belong here right now…'

I get up and make my way upstairs, not giving a second glance to the family.

* * *

Half an hour later, Don appears at the door of the attic. I'm laying on one of the beds reading when I notice him come in.

"Hey Karm." The purple banded turtle says softly.

"Hi Donny." I put my book down and sit up.

"Are you okay? You seemed upset, I saw you go off up here."

"I'm fine," I sigh, "I just went because it seemed like a family thing, and I'm not really family, so I thought I'd stay outta the way."

"But you are family to us," he sits on my bedside, "we don't call you sister for nothing."

"I guess… but you're all a proper family. You have all these wonderful childhood stories to share together, I was just brought up in a laboratory…" I say glumly.

"You're still wondering about your origins aren't you?" I nod. "When Leo's all better and we go back home, we can go back to Stockman's lab, I promise." Don smiles sweetly.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" I smile slightly.

"Of course. As I said, you're family, no matter what."

I grin at my brother and throw my arms around him.

"You really don't care that I was brought up by Stockman do you?" I mutter into his shoulder.

"We all know you're nothing like him, you're a good person." He rubs my shell comfortingly.

"Thank you." I say tearfully and Donny pulls away from our hug.

"Come on, don't cry, please." His eyes flicker with worry.

"I'm crying 'cause I'm happy Don." I sniff and wipe the tears away. "Shit, how selfish of me, I walked out on Leo. How is he?"

"He's awake now. I came to see if you were okay because he asked where you were."

"I'll come down and see him now." I smile.

Donny gets up and I follow him downstairs. As we reach the bottom, the scenery makes me smile. Mikey's perched in front of the TV, not too far away from Leo, chatting away to him, but never taking his eyes from the TV. Meanwhile April is fussing over Leo, making sure his bandaged arm is okay. The eldest brother is sat up slightly, still bundled up in blankets, smiling and nodding at his young brother, then frowns at April.

"April, I'm fine okay?"

"Are you sure? You went through a lot, we need to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine, I could just do with some lunch."

"I'll go help Casey fix up some food for you, I'm here if you need me." The young woman straightens up and makes her way into the kitchen, giving Don and I a smile before she disappears. Don takes a place on the floor next to Mikey, giving him a brotherly nudge. Feeling lost, I stand in the living room when deep brown eyes find me. A weak smile flashes across his features and I take a place beside him.

"Karm." His voice is soft, and croaky.

"Hiya Leo." I smile and pull the blankets over his shoulders.

"Stop fussing around me, I'm fine." He shrugs off the attention. I glance into his eyes and see something else there.

"You can't pretend to me Leonardo." I give him a stern look and his gaze flickers away to his younger brothers squabbling, only to flicker back to my eyes.

"I-… I let everybody down Karm. I wasn't there to protect anyone, I couldn't help… it was my fault, all of this is my fault." His tone is sharp, but not to me, to himself.

"No it's not, we thought we were safe, we thought he was gone. Our guard was let down-"

"I should have known, with that many Foot ninja in the sewers, I should have known!"

"Leo," I put a hand on his uninjured cheek, "none of us could have known. You know how master Splinter is, he senses danger 10 miles off, but he had no suspicion either."

"What about you?"

"I just told you to take care because of the weather. It looked as though we'd have a storm, that's all. It's okay, none of us knew, none of us could have known." Leo nods slightly. "We'll be okay, we'll all get through this Leo, I promise you." I find his right hand under the bundles of blankets. He weakly squeezes mine and manages to smile.

"Thanks Karm, but I think I'm going to need time to let it sink in."

"Understandably. We're all here for you."

"I know, and I'm grateful."

Smiles are exchanged between us, then Leo's face changes into a frown. I glance behind me to see Raph stood at the door holding firewood, wrapped up in his leather motorcycle jacket, as well as some black jeans and boots, though not by choice, just to protect him from the cold. With his face set into a scowl, he walks past us to throw the wood into the burning fire then storms upstairs.

"I'll go check on him." I get up. "Get some rest." I smile at my brother and he nods. I rush upstairs into the attic and see Raph pacing, his snow sprinkled shoulders heaving under the heavy jacket.

"Raph?"

He turns, his face still set in a scowl.

"What?" He says gruffly.

"What's wrong?" I step towards him.

"Nothin'." He turns his back to me again.

"Why won't you look at me?"

"Because I can't believe ya looked me in the eyes an' told me ya loved me, then as soon as I'm outta the picture, ya go runnin' ta freakin' perfect Leo! I knew it was too good ta be true!"

"What?!" I frown. "Raph, I was talking to him, _talking!_ He's my brother, he's your brother, nothing more!"

"Yeah it really looked that way Karm." Hurt amber eyes look at me. "I knew you wanted him, I knew I wasn't good enough."

"Will you get it in your head, I don't like Leo! I love _you_ Raphael, for reasons unknown right now because you're just being a _baka_!" We stand only inches from each other. "You really think I'm like that? You really think Leo is like that?"

"You looked pretty damn cosy from where I was standing." He mutters.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" I throw my arms up exasperated, "We are NOT having some steamy affair behind your back. We are brother and sister, and I just happen to be a very worried sister right now."

"Alright _sweetheart_, if nothin' was goin' on, what were ya whisperin' 'bout?" He folds his arms, his broad figure looming over me and his face contorted into a dark look.

"Have you not thought we were whispering because we didn't want anybody to hear?"

"I wonder why." He says maliciously.

"You know I wouldn't do that!" My voice starts to waver. He walks right past me and heads for the stairs.

"Yanno what Karm?" He turns back to me, "I'm not sure I do know that."

"What?" Tears run down my face.

"I ain't good enough am I? But everybody else is! Who is it after Leo? You an' Don are pretty close, an' Mikey. Hey, why not Casey too? Break up him an' April already!" He roars at me.

"Go away!" I say crying.

"Don't worry, I freakin' will!" And with that, he storms downstairs and slams the front door.

I fall onto my bed, crying, and bury my head in my pillow. I hear the stairs creak.

"Karm?" Don speaks softly and I feel the bed sink beside me. "Karmy, please don't cry." He sounds uncomfortable and timid.

"Why was he so horrible Donny? What did I do wrong?" I say half crying.

"You didn't do anything, I'm sure. I didn't hear what it was about, but I'm sure whatever it was, it was just Raph being a hothead."

"He said, he, I-" my breathe hitches and I take a deep breath, "he said I wanted Leo and that he doesn't know who I am, and I might end up going after you, or Mike, or Casey, but it's not like that!" I cry harder. Exhaling heavily, Donny strokes my shell and tries to hush me. I hear shouting from outside and look up to Don, who goes over to the window.

"It's Mike shouting at Raph."

"Mikey can shout?"

"Believe it or not, yeah he can, even I can. The way Raph talked to you, it made Mikey snap." I watch his eyes survey the scene. My heart thumps at my chest as I hear Raph yell at Mikey where to go, in a less than pleasant way. I let my head fall back into my pillow and the bed sinks again.

"We all know how you feel about Raph, it's crystal clear, it's just… Raph's a really insecure person. Behind all that confidence, behind that tough persona, he's begging for somebody just to tell him he measures up to Leo."

"Is this what it's about? He thinks he can't measure up to Leo?" I lift my head up again.

"Well… yeah, he's always had problems with it. If you'd been downstairs when we were telling our stories, you would have heard him say how he thought he'd be leader because he was strongest and bravest, but Leo was leader, purely because he didn't have a temper like Raph."

I start to piece everything together in my head when the stairs creak again. Mikey steps into the room looking concerned.

"Are you okay Karmy?" He comes over to me.

"Been better." I smile weakly.

"Raph was completely outta order! Don't worry, I let him know he was."

"I know, I heard. Sorry he took it out on you."

"You don't think I'm used to it?" The cheery turtle grins. I sit up, tucking my legs up to my plastron.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Don asks.

"Give me a hug?" I smile. Both of my brothers cuddle me in a huge hug and I smile. "I'm glad I have brothers."

"And we're glad we have a sister."

"Yeah, 'cause otherwise I'd have to be gay with Raph!"

I giggle at Mikey's comment.

"I love you two, I really do."

"We love you too little sister." Mikey grins as we pull away from our hug. "C'mon, we can go have a snowball fight!!"

"No thanks Mikey, I just wanna be alone for a while." I smile weakly.

"You gunna be okay Karm?" Don looks concerned.

"Yeah, just need some space."

"Alright, we'll just be downstairs if you need us."

"Au contraire my brother, we shall be outside." My youngest big brother grins and Don cringes.

"We'll be outside."

"Last one outside came from a rotten egg Donny boy!" Mikey jumps up and heads for the door, laughing in his usual devilish way.

"I'll see you later Karm." Donny smiles, then dashes downstairs himself, shouting something after Mikey in Japanese.


	20. Let it snow!

**Authors notes**- I don't own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Thanks to 54 Viruses for a certain bit of inspiration for the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Let it snow!

"Mikey!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

From the porch, I watch the two brothers as they fight in the snow playfully. It's strange seeing them in full clothes for a change, Mikey wearing light blue jeans, boots, a dark blue jacket, an orange scarf, mittens and hat, whilst Donny has black jeans, a grey jacket, boots, a purple scarf and mittens on. I tug my green mittens on, zip up my black coat, and step into the snow in my black knee high boots, with my black jeans tucked into them. The two brothers turn to me, Mikey grinning devilishly.

"Maybe we can take this goofball down now." Donny smiles, packing snow into a tight ball in his hands.

"Nuh-uh! I'm like the Abominable Snowman!" Mikey flexes his muscles whilst Donny and I exchange glances. I jump on my brother, sending him crashing into the snow.

"Real smooth, Abominable Snowman." Donny throws the snowball at Mikey's head as he pushes me off him. I get up, brushing myself down when a snowball comes into contact with my head. Mikey chuckles and picks himself up from the cold ground and Donny throws one towards me too. By flipping backwards I dodge it, but stumble backwards into the snow. My brothers laugh at my misfortunes.

"Ha ha, I'm the first one to make a turtle snow angel, so there!" I stick my tongue out, and move my legs and arms to make the angel shape in the snow. Mikey dives down beside me to make his own. We giggle together as we stand up to admire our creation.

"Ooh! Can we make a snow turtle?!" Mikey turns grinning to me.

"Yeah! That'd be so fun!" Grinning, I turn to Don giving a bemused glance to both Mikey and I.

"How old are you two again?"

"16."

"17."

"Debatable. Well anyway, I think I'm gunna head inside, I swear I have snow in my shell." A playful glower at Mikey, "Have fun." Donny turns and heads inside. April's shrill voice reaches us as Mikey and I start to pack a big ball of snow together.

"Donatello! Don't trudge snow into the house!… No! No apologies, just out! Go in the backdoor! Out, out, out!"

The door is flung open, then closed, as Donny stands on the porch looking sheepish and dejected. Both Mikey and I laugh as he trudges to the back door.

"Don'tcha just love snow?"

"I've never even seen it before, I can't believe I had to ask you what you were on about in the trailer." I smile.

"What else have ya never seen?" Mikey picks up more snow, packing it onto the small ball beginning to form.

"Umm… you being serious!" I giggle as Mikey pouts.

"Hey! I can be serious!… some of the time… okay, hardly ever."

"See… and I've never seen… umm… a lake. I know I've seen it now, but it's frozen, it'd be fun to go swimming."

"We'll come back in the summer, this is a nice holiday kind of place."

"I know what else I've never seen…" My tone goes from happy to glum.

"What?"

"Raph that angry at me…" I start to make another ball, smaller than the first, whilst Mikey finishes the base.

"Hey, no no, you ain't blaming yourself for that! I refuse to let you!"

"Why?"

We both stop building for a moment.

"Because, Raph wasn't angry at you, he wasn't angry at anyone. Maybe himself, but… he's just a bit of a bonehead sometimes, he rushes into things. He's a bit crazy like that I guess, always charging head first…" Mikey's face turns grave, "I worry 'bout him, I worry he's gunna charge in and get himself hurt, I mean, look at Leo. He's the more sensible one and he got hurt."

"That was an ambush Mikey, none of us could have stopped that." I sigh. We both start to make the snow turtle again in silence, our thoughts taking over our heads.

"Karmy?" Mikey asks almost five minutes later.

"Yeah Mike?" I watch him as he puts on the head. Baby blue eyes meet mine as he speaks.

"I-I love you… in a sister and brother way! Nothing more… I just wanted you to know…"

My heart melts.

"I love you too, littlest big brother." I take him in my arms and he nuzzles into my neck.

"We don't tell each other enough, none of us do. If anything had happened to Leo, he wouldn't know I-I… that I did. I hadn't said it to him in ages…"

"He would know Mikey. Telling someone and meaning it, even once, is enough."

"Ya think?"

"I don't think, I know." I cuddle him tighter. "Even though Raph was a jerk earlier, I know… I know he still loves me."

"So he finally came out with that, huh?" We break away from the hug and start to round the back of the snow turtle in a shell shape.

"Yeah he did. The night I pushed him in the bath." I smile slightly to myself, remembering it, then subconsciously touching my healing shoulder.

"That was a helluva night, huh?"

"Yeah, the other night was too… what is Saki doing to us? Breaking us apart…" I shuffle through the snow looking for a twig to draw shell markings on the snow turtle. Mikey doesn't reply, only gives a sad, distant look. "We'll be okay, my brother." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I hope so… You and Raph will be too, right?"

"Of course." I flash him a smile. "Even though he's a big jerk. Ah, damnit, no twigs. I'll go get some from the trees."

"Okay." My youngest brother looks up briefly, then carries on with the snow figure.

I wander over to the trees at the edge of the lake, shuffling through the snow once again for twigs.

"Kar…"

An all too familiar gruff voice speaks out. My eyes meet with his amber ones.

"If you're here to shout at me again, I don't want to hear it." I turn my back to his whilst fiddling with my mittens.

"No, I wanted… I wanted ta say I'm sorry… I shouldn'ta lost it at ya like that. I know ya ain't after Leo, I know you an' my bro wouldn't do that ta me… I just… I don't…. I feel…"

"It's okay, I know." I say without turning back to him.

"'Kay." A brief awkward pause. "Ya still love me, right?"

Smiling slightly at the cute worried tone in his voice, I turn back to Raph.

"For some reason… yeah I do."

"I dunno why ya do either, but I'm glad ya do." He stands awkwardly.

I can't help but notice how his leather jacket accentuates his broad shoulders and how his boots hold him that slight bit taller. He notices my eyes glimpsing over his figure.

"I think I know why now." He smirks to himself smugly and I smile back, brushing my hair from my face.

"Can't help it, you look hot in that jacket."

"Oh? So ya like me in clothes rather than almost naked now?" Raph grins broadly.

"Yup." I tease.

"Tough shit, I ain't wearing clothes, even fer you." He steps closer to me, a rough hand giving my cheek the most gentle of brushes. "I love ya girl, no matter how mad I get sometimes, 'kay?" His gentle tone matches his gentle touch.

"I know." I put myself in his arms. "I love you too."

We stay silent for a while, just holding each other, until Raph gives out a heavy sigh.

"Jeez, this is screwed up… the Foot is tearin' us apart…"

"We'll be okay though, we'll get through this Raph, all of us, and together." I look up to him and he peeks down at me.

"I really hope yer right."

"Trust me, I always am." I boast playfully.

"Where's this cocky attitude comin' from?"

"Must be my cocky boyfriend." We both grin. "Ooh yeah, I need a twig, me and Mikey are making a snow turtle!" Bending down, I root around in the snow. As I straighten, I glance to the pile of snow, but the orange and blue clothed brother is no where to be seen. "At least, we were."

"Heh, how did I know Mikey would be able ta take yer mind off yer jerk of a boyfriend?" He takes my hand as we start to walk towards the house.

"He's also good for revenge tips."

"Revenge tips…?" Raph says uneasily.

"Yeah, just check your bed tonight." I grin playfully.

"Ha ha." He rolls his eyes and I take my chance. With one fluid movement, I slip behind him, jump on his back slightly and stuff a small ball of snow down his back, and into the top part of his shell. Laughing almost identically to Mikey, I rush off into the back door of the house, Raph's swearing and shouting reaching me even there.


	21. Definately no angel

**Authors notes**- I do not own any of the TMNT or their compadres.

Sorry this has taken such a while! I've had a lot going on right now, but hopefully this will make up for it, enjoy! 

Definitely no angel.

Once again, my brothers, my sensei, Raph and I are bundled into the back of Casey's trailer. This time, there's no panic, no urgency, no hurt, just apprehension for what we may find awaiting us back home in New York.

Though Leo is well again, and as strong as he once was, I fear that strength is only skin deep. Our leader sits in the corner of the trailer with a brooding look that is normally too often seen on Raphael's face. Mikey on the other hand sits talking away to Donny, apparently excited about going back to the Lair and playing his video games. Don's eyes meet mine and he rolls them slightly. I laugh to myself at my unfortunate brother. My gaze then glances to Raph, taking the chance to let his guard down, for once, laying his head in my lap and dozing peacefully. I yawn too.

"The journey is long my daughter." Splinter speaks to me from his place beside Raph.

"It is father, if only we could go on a plane, huh?" 

The old ninjitsu master smiles slightly, his gaze then turning to his two youngest sons. I stroke Raph's cheek as his chest rises and falls under his plastron. 

It's not long before the trailer is stopped and the slamming of two car doors is heard. I shake Raph gently but he only grunts. I smile and roll my eyes.

"Raphy, you got a spider on you…" 

Faster than I've ever seen him move, Raph sits bolt upright, feeling every inch of his skin for the small intruder. Giggling and laughing comes from both inside and outside the trailer, whilst a glower is thrown my way.

"Very funny." 

"Okay, the coast is clear an' it's nice an' dark." Casey leans into the open doorway. "Ya head straight fer an alleyway, okay?"

"We know Casey." Leo speaks, his amusement quickly gone. Splinter carefully slinks out first, the last of him seen is a flicker of his tail. Mikey goes next, hovering in the doorway nervously. Donny gives him a small shove before following him out. Raph next, his strong frame not holding back his agility in any way. With one small smile to Leo, I follow Raph, dashing into the alleyway where the glint of four pairs of eyes watch. Mikey turns to the sewer cover and quickly lifts it. Descending into the sewers the order is the same again, Casey and April also following. 

As usual, the sewers drip and splash, and other than the quiet tapping of footsteps, there are no other sounds to be heard. A rough hand finds mine and I squeeze it slightly, comforting him I'm there. My hand sneaks to my obi belt and I take one of my tessen, just in case, and I also hear the chime of Leo's katana drawn. 

We come to a halt about 10 minutes later. We take cover as Don gets us back into the Lair, turning certain pipes and entering a code into a keypad. The wall creaks open and I watch as my purple banded brother stands poised with his bo staff, ready for any attack. Raph tenses beside me, his hand taken from mine to hold his sai. 

"It's okay, coast is clear." 

With the words of our calmest brother, we each peek out from our hiding places, then follow him into the Lair.

"Home sweet home!!" Mikey almost bounces into the kitchen. 

"Yeah, but why is home sweet home untouched?"

"Raph, you really think even the Foot could get in here? Gimme a little more credit than that bro." Donny takes his place at his computer.

"It don't make sense Donny boy. Even if they hadn't found this place after 3 months, surely they'd still be down here, or even on the streets?" Raph twirls his sai expertly in his hands as he talks.

"Maybe they don't think there's anyone to look for Raph…" Leo speaks, turning to his family with a dark look on his face.

"You mean…" I start to say, unable to think of a way to say it.

"The Foot may think we had perished in the fire my daughter. If they have reason to believe we are no longer a threat, there is no longer a need to search for us."

"One thing that doesn't make sense though. If they thought we'd… died in the fire, surely they'd search for… well, evidence of it…" Don stops tapping on his keyboard to talk.

"Who cares? They think we're dead, that could give us a helluva advantage." Raph's eyes twinkle with ideas and he grins.

"An advantage indeed Raphael. Shredder is vulnerable to attack… but…" Our master stops, a sad look in his face.

"But what sensei?" I ask softly.

"My daughter, tell me, do you think it is honourable for us to attack Shredder whilst he is vulnerable to attack, like he once did to us?"

This time it's my turn for my eyes to twinkle.

"Karma works in mysterious ways father. It is down to Shredder's own fault that he has left himself vulnerable to attack. I say, we take every opportunity we get." My eyes narrow, and a dark smile plays on my lips.

"I'm with the chick on this one. It's time for Shredder to get some payback!" Casey grins wildly.

"Yanno, I think they have the right idea." Raph's grin broadens.

"Hmm." Splinter stands amongst us, fighting his morals.

"Sensei, I know your honour means a lot to you. If you don't want us to go, we won't. We'll go right up to Shredder and show him we're still alive."

"No Leonardo. I understand where your sister comes from," a small smile comes to his lips, "the odds have always been against us my son, let's take this as fate giving us a small chance."

"Alright, time ta smash some heads… other than Mikey's." Raph looks towards the queasy looking turtle in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Dude and dudettes, do NOT go in there. It's like, mouldy milk central!" 

"Mikey, do you happen to know this, because you drank said milk?" Don is once again tapping at his computer.

"Uh, yeah."

Splinter sighs at his youngest son.

"Michelangelo, look before you leap. Maybe it would be best to eat, it has been a long journey."

"Take-out, take-out, take-out, take-out, take-out-" Slap. "Owww!" 

I roll my eyes at the red and orange banded brothers.

"I'll go get some pizza." I put my backpack down and start to rummage for my jeans, jacket, boots, scarf and hat.

"I'll come with you." Leo says, taking his katana from his back.

"Yeah, I'll tag along too. I need ta go back ta my place anyway." Casey rummages in his pockets and hands Leo a 20 dollar note.

"Thanks Casey." Leo looks uncomfortable at the hospitality of our human friend.

Running upstairs into my room to dress, Leo follows, going into his room. Once I'm dressed, I slip a small tanto into my right boot leg as a precaution. 

Going back downstairs, I look to Leo, standing uncomfortably in dark blue jeans, some sneakers, a light blue coat, dark blue scarf, hat and mittens. Mikey is chattering away to him, excited at the prospect of pizza.

"Mike, I know, you love anchovies little brother, I will get you a pizza with anchovies."

"Thanks bro." A dashing grin from Mikey.

"Ready Kar?" Leo asks, his eyes drifting from me to Casey sat on the sofa with Raph.

"Uh-huh, c'mon bonehead number 2, we're going." I subconsciously check my right boot for my tanto again as Casey joins us. 

Once again we sneak down the sewers silently, though I can tell Casey is nervous from his shuffling. 

"Case, it's fine, we'd sense Foot a mile off, okay?" I turn to him.

"It's not that chick, well, yanno, are you an' Leo gunna get away with this? I mean, ya are green." 

"Casey we've been doing this since we were kids. You wrap yourself up in enough layers and go to a small pizza parlour, nobody cares."

"Obviously that doesn't apply in the summer." I add.

"Alright, but ya run inta trouble, ya call me, ya hear?" 

"We hear you." I flash him a grin.

As we scurry up a ladder leading to the surface, not too far from our regular pizza place, Leo peeks outside.

"Coast is clear." He clambers out, me following and Casey right behind us.

"I'll meet ya back at the Lair." He says as we split up at the mouth of the alleyway.

"See you at the Lair." I wave to him as he goes in the opposite direction. 

As Leo and I make the short distance to the pizza place, we stay silent, until I break it.

"Are… You're not worried about being topside are you?"

The brief pause indicates some thought on Leo's behalf.

"No." He pulls his scarf up over his beak as we enter the pizza parlour. I sigh and do the same, putting my head down as to disguise my face more. As Leo makes the order, I glance around. A small girl sitting on a seat, swinging her legs, eyes looking questioning at me. Her mother sitting next to her, glances at the child, nudging her to stop looking. I smirk to myself. 

Icy air seeps into the shop once again as another girl enters the shop. Her eye catching purple hair is scraped into a ponytail showing off the multiple piercings in her ears and her pierced eyebrow. 

Leo steps back after his order is taken and his eyes flash. She gruffly asks for a small pepperoni pizza and hands over her money. She also steps back after her order is taken. Leaning against the counter, she notices Leo looking at her.

"What?" Her tone is sharp.

"As courteous as ever, Angel." Leo tugs his scarf down slightly.

"Hmm, brown eyes but wearing blue, definitely Leo." Her frowning face turns to a smile. "I heard ya were outta town?"

"We've only just gotten back, had to pick up some pizza, for everyone, especially Mikey." He pulls his scarf back up. 

"How is the goofball? I been missin' him." 

"He's Mikey." Leo shrugs and the girl nods knowingly. 

"Hawaiian pizza." The guy behind the counter shouts out and the young girl and her mother stand up, collect their pizza and exit the shop, leaving only me, Leo and the purple haired girl. 

She takes a seat where the young girl once sat and Leo takes the seat next to her. I stand awkwardly by the wall.

"Who's the chick?"

"Sorry, Angel, this is Karma, Karma this is one of our friends Angel."

"Nice ta meet ya." Her brown eyes turn to me.

"Likewise." I mutter. 

"Whassup with you? I ain't gunna bite." She frowns slightly and I inwardly sigh at being trapped with a hostile human. 

"Angel." Leo's voice is stern as he shakes his head. She looks to him, then back at me. "It'd be nice if you could stop by one of the days, I'm sure Mikey misses you as much as you miss him."

"Yeah, I might do one o' the days. I would tonight, but I told Grandma I'd stay in with her an' watch this movie she's been goin' on 'bout fer weeks."

"Hey Angel, pizza's ready." The pizza is placed on the counter for her and she gets up to collect it.

"Thanks Tony, see ya next week. I'll see ya sometime soon Leo… Karma." She nods slightly at me, then braves the icy weather again.

"Sorry, I keep failing to think this through Karm." Leo mutters.

"I offered to do it. I thought I was over this fear, clearly not." I stay by the wall. 

After a few moments of silence, our pizzas are called and Leo collects them. We make our way back home, silently once again. Sneaking down the sewers, as we near home, echoes of angry voices reach us. I frown to Leo and his brow knits in thought. We rush the last few metres home to see a familiar yet unfamiliar site.

Raph is poised for a fight, his broad shoulders pushed back and his hands twitching by his sai. I glance at Leo worriedly, as normally he's the one to be the opposite side of Raph right now, but, it's Mikey instead. 

"At I do somethin' round here other than eat Mike!"

"All I do is eat, huh hothead?"

Both of the brothers tones are malicious.

"Yer the reason Karm an' Leo are out now gettin' food ain'tcha?"

"What's wrong with that Raph? Scared of 'em being alone, _together_?"

"You fuc-"

"Raph!" Leo's between them in a shot, holding Raph back from hurting the youngest brother. I get the pizzas from him, and lead Mikey off into the kitchen.

"That's right, go inta the kitchen, **ta eat!**"

I sit Mikey at the kitchen table and lay the pizzas out. He sits stiffly, his face set into an un-Mikey like frown. I collect plates and lay a big slice of pizza out for him. 

"Raph, calm down, what was that about?" Leo's voice is calming but stern. I sigh. Before shutting the door, I peek into the main room to see April and Don looking slightly daunted at the computer, Raph pacing and Leo watching him, arms folded over his chest in his usual pose.

As I take off my mittens, I sit next to my youngest brother, taking a slice of pizza for myself whilst he doesn't touch his.

"Mikey," I say softly, "you don't just eat okay? Without you, we wouldn't laugh half as much as we do."

"So I'm just there to laugh at too?" His voice is hurt, verging on crying or shouting, I'm not sure which.

"Mikey, I didn't say that." I place my uneaten pizza slice on a plate and take my hat and scarf off, then unzip my coat too. "I meant, whenever things get tough, you are always there to cheer any of us up. If you hadn't come upstairs to check on me when Raph shouted at me, I would have had to put up with Don and his shitty jokes, and we all know, that's a fate almost as bad as death." I smirk.

"Raph is such a freakin' jerk." Mikey leans back into the chair, his face set in a scowl still.

"I know he is, we all know he is, but whatever he says, he never means. He's just angry, and you always say things you don't mean when you're angry." 

"I never do, he always does."

I sigh.

"That's it." I pull Mikey to his feet. "C'mon, we got a family feud to sort." I burst through the kitchen door, Mikey following. All eyes turn to me, Casey and Splinter included. 

"Look Raph, I don't know what your problem is, but either can it, or talk to one of us about it, there's no use shouting your head off. Mike," I turn to him, "don't wind him up, you know what he's like, and whilst it might make you feel better, it does nothing to help any of us. Leo," I turn to the eldest, "stop brooding like this, I would have thought you were Raph the way you're being. Where's the Leo who takes charge? I know you've been hurt, I know you feel you've let us down, but let what is past flow away downstream. Living in the past solves nothing, it only pulls you down further and further, and the only way you'll feel you haven't let us down is if you pull us back together. Donny," I finally turn to my purple banded brother, "what's the story?"

"I, uh… Well, I think April is managing to get through Shredder's firewalls and security systems, and soon enough we'll have the plans to Shredder's skyscraper so we can find out how to get to him exactly."

"Nice work." I smile then glance around to everyone staring at me blankly. "Well? I didn't go topside with Leo for nothin', there's pizza in the kitchen, get it whilst it's hot, but anybody touches the slice of pepperoni, I'll kick them topside." I put my hands on my hips. Quietly the four brothers file into the kitchen, Casey following whilst April stays at the computer, tapping away. Splinter comes up to me.

"How I am grateful for such a daughter, but tell me Karma, is there any Hawaiian pizza?"

"Plenty sensei." I grin.

"_Arigato musume_." The old ninjitsu master smiles and carefully makes his way into the kitchen. I sigh and go over the sofa, just wanting to close my eyes whilst the guys get their pizza…


	22. Kunoichi trickery

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Kunoichi trickery.

The chime of a plate being put down stirs me from my quick slumber. My eyes flicker open and I rub at them. I catch a glimpse of emerald skin and tug at the belt tails hanging over Raph's plastron.

"Hey sleepin' beauty." He says softly, crouching down to my level.

"What's the time?" I say softly.

"Uhhh, 'bout midnight. I saved ya some pizza, I knew you'd be hungry."

"Thanks." I smile at the amber eyed turtle. He smiles back in that old Raph way, a slight smirk, his cheeks dimpling slightly.

'_I wonder if I told him he had slight dimples he would ever smile again?' _I chuckle to myself inwardly. Yawning and stretching I sit up, and pick up the pizza on the coffee table. I glance over at the arm chair where Splinter sits meditating, then to the floor where Mikey lays playing his game. I glance behind, Leo is practicing, April and Donny are still at the computer whilst Casey paces in a bored manner. Raph takes a seat next to me and I cuddle up to him. He takes a piece of pepperoni from my pizza and I frown at him playfully. He chuckles to himself then shouts back to his purple banded brother.

"Yo Don, how long ya gunna be? This is drivin' me stir crazy just sittin' here. Can't ya get in or somethin'?"

"Oh ye of little faith Raphael. In fact," one last tap of the keyboard, "we're in, thanks to April of course."

"Nonsense Donny it was you."

"I supplied the computer, you did all the work."

"All I did was help out a little."

"You did more than help-"

"A-hem." Raph turns to his brother.

"Oh yeah, sorry. So, we're in, but looks like this is gunna take a hell of a plan, any takers?"

"Well, what floor is Shredder on?" The sound of Leo's katana being sheathed is heard.

"Oh just about the _hardest floor to get to_." Don says through gritted teeth.

"Top floor?"

"Top floor, Leo."

"Hm." I turn to see my eldest brother pacing. "We'll need a diversion."

"The truck?" Raph asks.

"We could all get in the truck and try to burst in the back where the garbage is taken out, but of course there would be guards. We'd need to get the guards off guard first." Donny stares at the screen. My eyes light up.

"I have exactly the plan." I grab Mikey's hand, and pull him upstairs, complaining all the way.

* * *

"Karm, this is not going to work." Mikey hisses.

"Yes it will, just follow my lead."

We approach the gates to Shredder's skyscraper where a few Foot ninja stand on guard for the night. They start to nudge each other as they see Mikey and I appear. One runs off to the side, and my heart hammers at my chest with nerves.

"_Konnichiwa_." One says as they all bow. "What could we do to be as service to you?" His tone is sleazy.

"We are here to pay a visit to Mr Saki." I say, batting my eyelashes.

"Oh really? Now that is a disappointment, I thought maybe you were here for us." He and the other guards laugh. "Especially you." His eyes turn to Mikey, most likely blushing wildly under the fan he holds, covering most of his face. I nudge him slightly and he groans under his breath.

"Well maybe for your, uh, birthday, hee hee hee!" He bats his eyelashes just as I did.

"Heh, that would be a good birthday, the boss always gets the fun. Let 'em in." The guard shouts back to the guards behind the gate and the gate swings open. I notice more guards appear behind us, most likely the ones that should be guarding the back of the building.

"_Domo arigato._" I bow my head slightly, Mikey following suit.

"No, thank _you_." The guard turns his head to watch Mikey walk.

"I'mgunnahurtyoui'mgunnahurtyoui'mgunnahurtyou." He mutters under his breath of the ninja. I giggle and pull him into the shadows of the garden to the side as soon as we're out of sight.

"I can't believe you dressed me up as a girl-"

"A geisha actually."

"But what I can't believe more is that we got away with it."

"You think with all of that make up we wouldn't? And the kimono? I'm just glad I got this from April before the shop was burned down, they're beautiful." I admire the clothing before slipping it off. Mikey huffs as he takes his off.

"What about the make-up?" He turns to me whilst taking off his wig, his face as white as snow.

"Saki has a pond." I point to the other side of the garden. "Lemme just check in with Leo." I put in my headpiece whilst hiding the clothes in a bush, making a mental note of where they are for later. I tie my obi around my waist once again and as I slip my tessen into it, Leo picks up.

"Hello?"

"We're in, are you?"

"Listen."

I stay quiet and hear shouting and screaming as well as the roar of an engine.

"Almost then. We'll meet you on the first floor, when Mikey has his make-up off." I giggle.

"Just be careful."

"I will." I hang up, watching my brother's face dissolve from white to green once again.

"I guess this will be the last laugh of the night huh?"

"I guess so." I take a deep breath and look up to the huge skyscraper.


	23. Guess who?

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres.

Just a few Japanese words, tenshi – angel and shugosha – protector.

Guess who?

A chill runs through my spine as we enter the chamber of Oroku Saki. After making it through floor after floor, each holding devastation from us in some way or another, we've finally made it to the top. Through swarms of Foot ninja, a few trickery Foot Tech ninja, a laboratory and the strange creatures known as the Mystics, we're finally here, relatively unscathed. The chambers of the evil man hold no destruction, yet, they don't even hold any sign of life.

"Think he saw us coming and ran away like a little girl?" Mikey whispers to me. I smirk and nudge him. With four puffs of smoke, the Elite appear before us, each poised with their weapon.

"The Elite." Leo mutters.

"Ya can do it bro, we're all behind ya, we're in this together." Raph twirls his sai in his hands.

"You couldn't be more right, _freak_." The deep voice and cracking of knuckles announces Hun's presence behind us.

"They're waiting…" I notice neither the Elite nor Hun move.

"For what?" Mikey glances at me.

"Orders."

"As perceptive as ever, Leonardo." Saki steps forward, in his full Shredder armour. "I do not know how you survived our last encounter, but you shall not survive this one." His claws glint in the light. "Elite, deal with them, I have more pressing matters." Red eyes meet mine as the Elite rush towards my brothers and sensei. I stand amongst the fighting as Shredder steps towards me. He starts to clap, confusing me. "Impressive, very impressive. Fooling my guards like that, Karma. I have often told you, your place is not their side, it is mine."

"I'd rather **die** than be on your side." I hiss.

"Heh, shall we put that to the test? You will **beg** for mercy before me!" He rushes forward quickly and unexpectedly but I dodge him. Tessen and claws interlock.

"I will never beg for anything from you." I narrow my eyes.

"Not even the story of your origins?" His statement throws me off and a kick is delivered to my plastron. "I know what you are, I know what you _were_. Join me, and find out, I know how it eats at you." He looms over me, his voice quiet and enticing.

I feel shaking, and for a moment I think it's me, but I spot the beams holding up the room juddering. Shredder straightens up and I run over to Mikey, the nearest brother to me. I grab at his wrist.

"Mikey, it's something bad, really bad, I can sense it." My voice quivers.

"Fear not little sister, Mikey's here." He pulls me back to a nearby beam, and stands in front of me protectively. I spot Leo the other side of the room, Donny not far away from him. Raph stands near the door, waiting, watching along with master Splinter. The floor creaks, cracks then splinters. The noise is horrendous and the floor shudders from the huge mass erupting from the floor. Evil laughter fills the air as a huge robot emerges from the floor and contained inside is the evil genius, Baxter Stockman.

"Holy shit…" Mikey mutters and I clutch onto his shell.

"I, Baxter Stockman, once again invent a genius device!" He laughs evilly once more.

"Stockman! That stunt you pulled with cost you fool! But, you can regain yourself once again by using that robotic suit to destroy these turtles you once thought me into thinking dead." Shredder points his claws towards Leo and Donny.

"You call me the fool Shredder? You are the fool! The whole reason I faked their deaths was to get my hands on that marvellous exo-suit and look what I got from it. I don't work for you anymore, I work for no one but myself, and now it's time to destroy all of you." His eyes flicker around the room from his place inside the robot. Wicked brown eyes find me, staring me down. "Karma," a small smile plays on his lips, "my precious experiment, once again on the losing side, why not join me, child? "

"_Child?!_ How could you call me such a thing?! All those years and all those tortures, and you call me your child?! You're insane Stockman."

"Oh but once, you were my child Karma, once-"

"**ENOUGH!**" The barrier to my locked away memories breaks, as does my temper. I flick out my deadly fans and tears burn at my eyes. "You will **never** earn the right to call me child! You may as well be dead to me, and I wish you were. I hate you." I rush towards the robot, hate burning through my veins, making my heart beat viciously. Everything seems a blur as I attack tenaciously and fiercely. I hardly hear the voices of my family calling my name, they only reach me as ghostly whispers. My world spins and my breathe is ragged, but all I can concentrate on is his evil eyes, glaring at me, staring me down, speaking into my mind.

'_Worthless, weak, pathetic, that's all you are.'_

A scream escapes my lips as I deliver a flying kick into the chest of the robot. The glass quivers and shatters behind the weight and Stockman goes falling from the window. My legs give way and I sit on the floor, my chest heaving, my eyes running with tears and my heart heavy.

"Shit…" The severity of my actions hit me. I drop my tessen in horror and stare in disgust at my hands.

"He always said you would be a killing machine. Pity he was the one to find it out." Shredder's cold voice reaches me and my heart leaps in my chest.

"Shut up if you don't want the same."

Engines roar outside the window and I my glance turns from Shredder to Stockman, his robotic suit floating from jet packs on his back. I stumble to my feet, grabbing my tessen and backing away quickly.

"You fool, you thought you could kill me by throwing me out a window? Ha! You're clearly not the brains of the family." He smirks. As I back away, my shell bumps into something. I turn fearfully to see familiar amber eyes looking worriedly at me. Raph steps protectively in front of me, one of his hands finding mine to hold.

"S'okay _tenshi_, I'm here fer ya."

"Now it's time for me to destroy you all." Stockman raises a robotic arm and starts to fire bullets at us. We all dive our separate ways. The scientist turns towards the Elite to take them out, as Donny runs over to Raph and I.

"Any plans brainiac?"

"I'm thinking."

Leo, master Splinter and Mikey join us huddling by a fallen beam.

"Can you think fast Don, Stockman's making easy work of Hun." Leo says as we watch Hun thrown across the room, Stockman then moving onto Shredder. Donny sits rubbing at his temple in thought.

"Any sec now bro'." Raph's eyes flicker from Stockman to his purple banded brother. Brown eyes look up to Raph to give a small scowl when they light up.

"Those tubes on his back, they may just be the power source" Donny mutters to himself, "Leo, if we distract Stockman, can you get on his back and slice those tubes?" He stands up and twirls his bo staff, then points it towards Stockman's back.

"Got it." Leo sneaks off into the shadows

Mikey bounces up, following Don towards Stockman. Master Splinter gives me a kind smile before following his sons.

"Kar, are ya okay?"

"I'm-… fine." I get up to follow my brothers, avoiding Raph's glance.

"Yanno, I don't think I'm a good influence on ya, all this cockiness an' stubbornness." The sound of a smile in his gruff voice makes me turn towards him, smiling myself slightly. "Ya need ta bail any time, ya just say, but I doubt ya will."

"Your influence has rubbed off on me that much." I smile at him.

"Uh, brother, sister, if you're not too busy gettin' it on, can ya kinda HELP?!" Mikey squeals as he clings to the arm of Stockman's suit.

"Think we should help the bonehead?"

"Uh-huh." I run over towards the robot, Raph on my tail. I use my folded tessen to give a heavy blow to the arm of the robot. "Put my brother down." I say defiantly.

"Well aren't you the feisty one? But whatever you say!" He throws Mikey across the floor and my brother slides across the floor on his shell.

"Mike!" My eyes glance towards him then back to Stockman, sneering. With a glower and a vicious kick, Stockman stumbles and I rush over to my youngest big brother. I scan his body for injuries and I put my hand on his cheek. "Mikey?" I ask softly.

"Aww owww…" he groans and rolls onto his side.

"Can you get up?"

"Just gimme a minute… this is kinda comfy…"

"Mikey!" I slap him around the head at his cheeky attitude. "Clearly it takes more than a mammoth throw to cause you any injury."

"I'm like Superman." Mikey grins as he stands. We turn towards Stockman, Raph on his shoulder, trying to break the glass of the visor on the robotic suit. Stockman shrugs him off and Raph lands with a hard thud on the floor. In a heartbeat, Mikey and I are standing in front of Raph protectively. I spot Don and Splinter sneaking behind Stockman, ready to strike. Stockman raises one of his metal arms to sweep us to the side when his suit freezes. Leo lands behind us, katana drawn.

"What?! No, just a minor set back, it's fine." Stockman mutters to himself as the suit whines with the effort of moving the frozen arm. To our fear, it moves once again. I glance behind at Leo, helping up Raph, worry caught in his face. "Ha, such an ingenious device! Each of my parts has its own power source, it will take a lot more than that to destroy me!" The scientist laughs manically once again and we start to back away. Donny and Splinter leap onto Stockman's shoulders, searching frantically, Donny obviously conjuring up a plan. Splinter leaps from the robotic shoulders to join us.

"My children, Donatello tells me that we should try to detach a limb from this robotic monster."

"Got it sensei." Raph throws both of his sai into the shoulder of the metal beast, and they lodge, causing some obvious damage as sparks fly. Donny carefully jumps from the machine.

"Thanks Donny." I grab his bo staff, running and vaulting towards the arm of the robot. As I dodge the other monstrous arm reaching for me, my brothers run towards the machine too, Shredder following. He too vaults up onto the monster and slices away at the machine.

"Once this fool is taken down, I will take your family down too, by no means am I helping you Karma." He says over the metal clashing with metal.

"And by no means are we helping you, Saki." I throw the bo staff back down to my brother and also the sai protruding from the shoulder of the robot back down to Raph. I swipe at the wires exposed at the shoulder of the monster. The arm creeks and starts to fall. Strong arms catch me as I fall, and I grin back at my red banded boyfriend.

"Thanks _shugosha!_ " I grin at him as he puts me down.

"No! Not my arm! No, it's okay Baxter, it's okay, you have the deadliest one left." He mutters to himself, throwing Shredder from his shoulder and aims the other arm towards Leo and Splinter. Fire spits from it, my master and brother manoeuvring quickly away from it. The fire turns towards Raph and I, also dashing away from the maniac.

"I've got an idea!" Donny proclaims flipping backwards from fire.

"Well, this would be a good time ta tell us Donny boy!" Raph grabs my wrist and drags me back as Stockman turns around.

"Just keep him busy." I notice Don run off.

"Great." Raph mutters.

"C'mon, don't be a girl." I stick my tongue out at him and dash towards Stockman's robotic legs, slashing as I run under him. Raph follows suit as Mikey jumps up onto Stockman's shoulders, running around to the back of his visor.

"Now ya see me, now ya don't, now ya see me, now ya don't-" Mikey's chant goes on and on.

"Infuriating freak!" Stockman swings his one arm towards Mikey, who nimbly dodges.

"Hey Stockman!" Donny's voice rings out, and everybody turns to look at him. My shy brother nervously pulls at his wristbands, before carrying on. "I'm amazed by the technology of your suit, especially this robotic arm here," Donny picks up the arm and even Mikey understands, jumping from Stockman's shoulders, still basking in the praise, "each having separate power packs, amazing. Wait, shouldn't this thing still work?"

A rocket explodes from the arm, hitting Stockman square in the chest, pushing him back through the window and all is heard is an explosion. With baited breath, everybody stands, listening.

"He's finished…" I whisper. My glance turns to Don, the robotic arm dropped to the floor. Rushing over, I wrap my arms around the bo staff wielding brother, whispering 'thank you' over and over.

"It's okay Kar." Donny rubs my shell, but his voice sounds a little astounded.

"Now that nuisance is disposed of, it is your turn, turtles." The cold voice rings out as a cruel reminder that Stockman was not our last battle of the night.


	24. We're in the Matrix!

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT, any of their compadres, arch enemies or associates.

Finally! This chapter is finished! Sorry it's taken so long, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. The chapter title is just a quote from it, I couldn't think of anything else, you'll understand at the end!

"We're in the Matrix!"

"For too long have you gotten in my way, for too long have you contorted the mind of my experiment, for too long you have **lived**… Tonight will be the end of you freaks!"

We stand poised, waiting, watching for Shredder's first attack. He lunges for Mikey, who puts up an admirable fight, but is knocked back. Raph next, followed by Donny, then myself, each meeting the same fate as Mikey. As I try to collect myself from the floor, I see Shredder fighting Leo, backing him towards the shattered window. I gasp and scramble to my feet, ignoring the cries of pain from my body.

"Shredder, you want me so badly, then fine, have me, but you're not hurting my family." I stand defiantly a few steps behind him. Slowly turning to me, he chuckles evilly.

"Unfortunately for you Karma, at the precise moment the only thing I want, is these freaks **dead!**" He quickly spins around, his elbow ready to career into Leo's chest. The scene seems to unfold in slow motion as master Splinter pushes his eldest the son out of the way, taking the brunt force of the hit. He flies backwards through the window, the last part of him seen is a flick of his tail. Quick-thinking Leo takes a grappling hook from his belt and throws it to a beam, following our sensei down, the rope tied around his waist.

Once again, my temper snaps and I dive for Shredder. My weight forces him to the ground and my tessen flies to his throat. With a vicious grab around my shell, he throws my weight from him and across the floor. He steps towards me, my whole body still shuddering from the throw. I don't give him chance to pin me down, rolling out the way and standing up in one fluid moment, against my body's protest.

"I've left my mark on you once, do not make me do it again." A rapid attack comes my way, but I counteract it just as fast. As metal clashes against metal, Shredder tries to persuade me. "Such a fine creature. You were made well, it is a pity you fight for the wrong side."

"That's where you're wrong Saki. I fight for the right side. It is only by fate that I was brought up on your side."

"Was it, _Innen?_ "

My body runs cold.

'Innen, the kanji for karma… it sounds so familiar…'

"Fate is a powerful force, and so is karma." I push the claws away, delivering a powerful spin kick to Shredder's middle. He stumbles backward, seemingly hurt.

"Karma is what you live by, but what about honour, hope and faith?" An almost mocking tone in his voice.

"What do you mean?" I ask warily.

"Join me, and find out." He finally regains his composure.

"**Never.**" I lunge forward, my tessen folded, delivering a crushing blow to his blocking forearm. Shredder stumbles backwards, but doesn't utter any cries of pain.

'_What is this guy made of?!'_

A solid fist connects with my cheek.

'Steel, obviously. Shit.'

My feet are swept from beneath me and I go crashing down. I lie on my back, body shivering from pain as Shredder steps towards me. His foot presses down onto my left wrist, leaving me weapon less as my other tessen lies only inches away, having being dropped by my unexpected fall.

"Life, or death. Pick one."

I spit out the blood filling my mouth.

"An honourable death is better than a life on your side."

"Too bad." Claws glint in the light as they're lifted. "I'm sure you will be missed, Karma. I can always make a new one of you though, a more obedient one." As the gauntlet races towards my neck, I take a sharpened hairpin from my hair and plunge it straight into Shredder's advancing hand. He stops, giving me the time to grab my tessen and deliver a blow to his shin to retrieve my left wrist. I straighten up, poised with my deadly fans. "**You will not win!**" He races towards me again, and to either side of me two green blurs collide into Shredder, kicking him back through the screens at the back of the room. I notice the purple and orange within the blurs.

"Don, where's Raph?"

My brother turns towards me, nods his head behind me, and dashes after Mikey, who is dashing after Shredder. My eyes turn to meet with Raph, his face looking bare.

"Fell on my wrist awkwardly." He says, grimacing slightly. I notice his left wrist bandaged in his mask and take it in my hands carefully.

"Probably just twisted, you'll be okay."

"Ya sound like Don." He takes his sai in his right hand. "It ain't gunna stop me fightin'."

"I know, but Raph," We start to hurry towards the screens, leading to Shredder's rooftop garden, "I pretty much made a shish kebab with his hand, but, there was no blood, no cry of pain, nothing…"

"Ya really think this guy's normal? He got thrown from a couple storey buildin' an' had a water tower land on him an' he's still walkin'?! Somethin' ain't right."

"You're telling me." I say as I watch Shredder pick up both Mikey and Don and throw them down.

"This bastard's mine." Raph's voice filled with anger as he rushes towards Shredder. After helping up my two brothers, I watch Raph fight, one handed.

'There's no denying, he's a born fighter…'

I watch his perfected moves, his strong body block and dodge, his sai clashing over and over with the gauntlet of the Shredder.

As Raph is knocked back by the powerful man, his metal extension catches the moonlight. Rushing over, I intercept the nearing claws, but a swift kick to my plastron knocks me back. I hear Raph growl, leaping for Shredder in a moment of anger and watch as Shredder knocks him to the ground.

Mikey steps up, wrapping one of his nunchucks around Shredder's arm and kicks him backwards. Quickly recovering, Shredder kicks my little big brother, but he expertly dodges it. He fails to see the leg sweeping towards his feet. With a crash, Mikey goes down.

Using his bo staff, Donny vaults towards Shredder, sending a vicious two footed kick to his middle section. Once again it takes a few seconds for Shredder to recover, but he quickly over powers Don, pinning him to the ground, claws threatening to slice.

"Get away from my family Shredder!"

Everybody stops, everybody looks. The proud and graceful leader of our family stands, holding a strange sword.

"The sword of Tengu…" Shredder says in awe.

'_The what of the what now?'_ I wonder.

A blast of blue energy exits the sword and hits Shredder, throwing him back.

"No! I cannot lose!" Clambering up, he dives for a statue in the garden. I hear a click and turn behind me to see a swarm of Foot ninja. While Leo is distracted, Shredder lunges towards him, knocking the sword of Tengu from his hands.

"Shit!" Leo says whilst wrestling with Shredder.

From out of no where, two men wearing long black coats jump down onto the rooftop.

"What the hell is going on here?! Could things get any crazier?!" I turn my gaze towards Raph, also looking baffled.

"Keep Shredder away from the sword of Tengu, we shall deal with the Foot ninja."

"I don't care how good ya are, two against two dozen ain't fair." Raph replies to one of the men. He gives a small smile and more men land behind us.

"Holy shit, we're in the Matrix!!" Mikey squeals.

"Mikey!" I shout. "Not. The. Time." I look towards Leo, still struggling with Shredder. "C'mon, we gotta help Leo, leave these guys to it." I say to my family and they nod. As I rush past Leo fighting with Shredder, Donny calls to me.

"Karm, get that metal glove Leo's wearing!"

I skid to a halt, take the glove from Leo fighting and rush towards the sword.

"No! You cannot touch that Karma!" Shredder shouts, still trying to fight off Leo. Now free to use both katana as the bulky glove is removed, he draws the other and kicks Shredder back.

"Watch me, Shredder." As I reach for the sword, a huge force slams into my side. I groan in pain but quickly take the glove from my hand.

"Go long Donny!" I quickly throw the glove and pin Shredder to the ground to prevent him from reaching the sword.

'Somethin's telling me Shredder doesn't need that glove to pick up that sword.'

"Fool, get off me!" A quick elbow to the plastron and I have to recoil back, holding my ribs. Luckily, Donny had already picked up the sword and was running from Shredder. Raph rushes after Shredder and Leo helps me up.

"Are you okay imouto?"

"Fine." I straighten up, wincing slightly. "And no Leo, I don't what he means when he says I can't touch the sword of Tengu." My eyes meet with his.

"I-… uh, yeah." Leo stands up to his full height. "Are you okay to carry on? I don't want you-"

"Shut it Leo." I smirk at him, and he sighs.

"Too much Raphael for you. C'mon, Don needs our help."

We rush over to our purple banded brother, backing away from Shredder.

"Don, use your head! You're holding one of the most powerful swords we've ever seen, and _you're_ the one backing away from _him?!_ "

"Oh, yeah." Don grins meekly and with a swing of the sword, Shredder is once again thrown backwards.

"Use the force Donny boy!" Mikey grins, and warily steps away from Raph, anticipating the smack to the back of the head. He gets one, but from Shredder, not his brother.

"The weakness of you fools is that you take nothing seriously!" Another swing of his arm to a bewildered Raph. He turns on Donny who throws the sword and glove along the ground to Leo and I. He sweeps Don's feet from under him.

"You take it, I don't want to know what he means." My eyes meet with my oldest brother's before I step up towards Shredder once more.

"I tire with you Karma. I offer you everything and you still turn my offer down. I know you were never the smartest one, you were the brawn of your family, but, I thought you'd have more common sense than that."

"…My family?" My guard completely drops and Shredder takes his chance, grabbing me and holding his gauntlet to my neck. I shriek and struggle, but I can't free myself.

"Leonardo, why must we continue doing this? Let's make this final, the sword of Tengu for your 'imouto', do we have a deal?"

"Leo don't, he can do what he wants with me, you can't let him-" A hand is clapped over my mouth.

"Leonardo, I am waiting. Do not make me end her miserable life to get to you."

Leo stands, holding the powerful sword, his eyes swirling with anger and hurt. Defeated, he drops the sword, closing his eyes.

"Leo…" I whisper as the hand is taken away.

"Weak, pathetic freak, you would be a great leader, if you did not let emotions control you…"

As Shredder puts me down, I turn on him, giving him a vicious kick to the stomach.

"He IS a great leader." My eyes narrow.

"I tire of you little one, do not make me take your life!" Shredder starts a volley of attacks towards me, but I defend, block and fight back.

"Karm! Duck!" Leo's commanding voice speaks out, and I obey him without any hesitation. Another energy blast from the sword hits Saki again. We all watch as the evil man stands up. I turn my gaze towards Raph who worriedly looks back.

"There's no getting' rid o' this guy…"

"We've gotta try Raph." Leo tightens his grip on the sword and lunges towards Shredder, all of us following. Leo locks sword and gauntlet with Shredder, but gets pushed back. Donny swings his bo staff towards Shredder's legs and Mikey wraps his nunchuck around one of his arms. They get pushed back, then Raph and I step up, taking it in turns to deliver blows to him. As Raph clashes his sai with Shredder's gauntlet, he gets kicked back, into me, and we land in a heap on the floor.

"Jeez Raph!" I push him off and he grins meekly, helping me up.

"Can't help I'm big." He winks and I smirk, my eyes gazing towards Leo, katana-less for the minute as Shredder holds them. All of us stand to watch as Shredder and Leo leap for each other, clashing mid air, and landing deftly. Leo lands facing us, his features set into a frown. He slowly turns around. We watch, we wait.

Shredder stands, holding Leo's katana, not moving. I shriek a little in surprise as a small '_thunk'_ is heard.

"Whoa…" Mikey steps forward, as Shredder crashes forward. "I think… I think he's dead dudes… dudette…"

"Shut up Mike, you've prob'ly jinxed us, this guy don't stop!"

Donny timidly steps forward, gasps a little and steps back.

"Trust me Raph, you stop going when you don't have a head."

Silence. Leo steps up and takes his katana, sheathing the sword of Tengu for now.

"Don, we need to make sure this place can't ever be used again."

"I'm on it Leo, if I can just-" Don's voice fades off as I walk away to the side of the building. I look at all the bodies of the Foot ninja, lying unconscious.

"Hey…"

"Hi." I reply to his gruff voice.

"Are ya okay?"

'…_you were the brawn of your family…'_

"Yeah. I'm fine." I shrug away the thoughts. We stand in silence for what seems an hour, when it's only been a few minutes.

"Let's get master Splinter and-…" I turn to Leo, standing blankly, horrified. My eyes turn to where his gaze. "Master Splinter…"

"He's gone?!" Raph frowns.

"He was too hurt to move, he couldn't have…"

"Leo, we haven't got long, we need to get out of here. If master Splinter isn't here, he must have moved, he might have gone back home." Our rational, level headed brother comes through for us.

"I guess so Donny…"

"I think I have the perfect way of getting us home quickly." A twinkle in Don's brown eyes makes me wonder what he has in store. He leads us over to a statue where he flicks a switch. The ground splits and opens up, uncovering a helicopter.

We all climb in, Leo last. As if his life depended on it, he holds onto the only thing left behind of our sensei, his walking stick.


	25. Leave out all the rest

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT, any of their compadres, arch enemies or associates.

I don't own the song either, I'm no musical genius.

'Leave out all the rest.'

When we reach home, there's no sign of Splinter anywhere. With heavy hearts we all decide to go to bed, Raph needing a little more persuasion than everybody else.

"We should go look fer him!" Raph fidgets on the sofa as Donny dresses his twisted wrist.

"There's no point Raph, it's gone past 3 in the morning. It's dark, not to mention we're all tired and aching. But once we've slept, we'll go find him."

Defeated, Raph sighs heavily, letting Don wrap up his wrist.

"Dudes, I'm beat, I'm going to bed." Mikey stretches and yawns.

"Good night Mikey, get some sleep."

"Will do Leo. Night all."

"Nighty little big brother."

"Night Mikey."

"Night Mike." Raph grumbles.

I pace around, and remember my cheek. I touch it gently and wince.

"You'll want some ice on that to ease the bruising, Karm." Donny glances up.

"Has it bruised badly?" I ask in vanity.

"Still as beautiful as ever." Raph smiles slightly and I blush at the compliment.

"I'll get you an ice pack from the kitchen." Leo wanders off but I wander after him, taking a place at the table. Leo takes a pack from the freezer. He glances over my cheek then hands the ice to me. "It's not too bad, just keep that on it for a while."

Taking a seat next to me, my brother rubs his face.

"Tired?" I wince as I place the cool pack onto my face.

"No I'm fine, I don't think I'll even sleep tonight."

"We'll find him." I take his hand in my free one.

"Try to get some rest Kar, we've all had a hard night." He gets up from the table hastily.

"Leo," I put the ice pack down, "this isn't your fault."

He tilts his head down, looking toward me from the corner of his eyes.

"Good night imouto."

"Good night, my big brother." I watch him exit the room, and with a sigh, slump back down at the table. I turn my back to the door and once again put the ice pack to my face. Pattering feet head towards the kitchen, and my tallest brother enters.

"Want me to have a look at your cheek?" Donny asks as he gets himself a glass of water.

"I think it's okay." I take the ice pack away and Don puts his water on the table, then crouches down slightly to look at my cheek.

"Can you move your jaw without any major pain?"

I open and close my mouth.

"Hurts, but not majorly."

"You should be fine within a few days, you might have a bit of a bruise though."

"Thanks Shredder." I roll my eyes and place the ice pack back onto my cheek. "Has Raph gone to bed?"

Don picks up his water.

"Yeah he has, and I am now too. Night Kar." He rests a hand on my shoulder for a moment and leaves.

"Nighty Donny." I say quietly.

I stay in the kitchen until I can't stand the silence anymore. I make my way upstairs, past everyone's rooms, Raph's being the only with the light still on. Once I'm dressed for bed, I go into the bathroom to wash my face, carefully. I walk past my bedroom, and go into Raph's instead. The light now turned off, a pair of eyes glint in the dark as they try to figure out who it is.

"Kar?" Raph whispers.

I crawl into his bed and snuggle into his body.

"I wanted some company tonight." My heart races as our intertwined bodies lie so closely together.

"I'm glad, I did too." He strokes the hair from my face, his fingers gently caressing my cheek. "I coulda killed him fer touchin' ya…"

"Ssh." I put a finger up to his lips. "Nothing more than a few bruises, I've had worse…" My hands wander to my wrist.

"I coulda killed Stockman too-"

"Raphael, why are you always so angry?" My blue and green eyes meet with his brown, almost tinted red eyes.

"I've always been the angry one, the tough one, yanno, the one who'll kick anybody's ass if they mess with my little bro, or the one who'll shout at Leo if he's bein' a jerk… I just… if everyone knows on the outside I'm tough, then maybe they won't see the weakness underneath…"

"Having another emotion other than anger doesn't show your weakness, it shows that you're just like the rest of us."

"I can't let anybody who might use it against me see it though… if Shredder knew how much I cared 'bout any of ya, he'd use it, he'd hurt ya, an' I'd rather he went through me first…"

"He's gone, it's okay… let me in Raph, I won't hurt you…"

"Yer askin' a lot." He sighs. "I don't mean to take it out on any of ya, but… sensei taught me that expressin' myself outwards was better than takin' it out on myself. He didn't want another Leo, he didn't want another son beatin' himself up on the inside, but I guess we all do. There ain't no way Mike's that happy all the time an' who does Don talk to when we all tell him our problems? I just, I wish I could let ya in Kar, but too much has gone on, too much ta tell ya, fer now anyway."

"I understand." I rest my head into his plastron.

"I love ya, an' I trust ya, it's just… a big thing fer me, lettin' people know what makes me tick, yanno…"

"I know, I feel the same, I guess I'm just a little easier to open up." I look up to him, and kiss him deeply, pressing my body into his. "I love you ninja boy." I whisper.

"I love ya too Kar, just one thing?" He sounds uncertain.

"What?"

"We-…" Raph sighs and lowers his voice, "We will find him, w-won't we?"

"We won't stop until we do." I stroke his temple to soothe him. He nods slightly and then closes his eyes.

"I love ya." His strong arms wrap around me as he says sleepily.

"I love you too." I kiss his head, closing my eyes too, welcoming the sleep.

* * *

I wander away from the map April, Leo, Mikey and I are looking at. I wander past Donny, frowning over some parts for the armoured truck in his lab.

"Don't work yourself too hard big brain."

"Thanks… I think…" Donny calls after me and I smirk. I hear Raph in the dojo, but only shake my head and go into the kitchen.

As I get myself a glass of orange juice, I hear a shout from the dojo and guess Raph is working out his frustration. Coming from the kitchen with my juice, I notice Raph throw his sai into the wall. Leo also notices.

"Are you okay Raph?" The eldest brother straightens up from looking over the map, his face frowning in worry.

"No Leo, why the hell are we standin' 'round, why ain't we lookin' fer him?! He might be hurt, bad."

"I know Raph, but we need to organise the search, where do we start looking for him?"

"Everywhere!" Raph pulls his sai from the wall.

"Raphy, not a good time for the hot head thing…" Mikey says glumly.

"The truck is a few hours off street worthy, but as soon as I get it running again, we'll be able to cover more ground." Don steps out from his lab.

"That ain't soon enough Donny. I'm goin' ta look fer him!" Raph storms towards the exit and I slide in front of him.

"Listen to me Raph, please. You're angry, you know what happens when you're angry, you get irrational…"

"Karm's right," Donny puts a hand on Raph's shoulder, "we don't need to be searching for you as well as master Splinter."

Raph growls at Donny's words.

"It's okay Donny, Karm, go blow off some steam Raph, you might find something out there for us." Leo says, defeated.

Raph barges past me, almost wrenching Don's shoulder from him. I watch as the angry red banded turtle storms down the sewer tunnels.

"Please take care." I whisper as a brotherly hug from Don comforts me.

* * *

"_I __dreamt I was missing,  
You were so scared,  
But no one would listen,  
'Cause no one else cared,  
After my dreaming,  
I woke with this fear,  
What am I leaving,  
When I'm done here?,  
So if you're asking me I want you to know…_

_  
When my time comes,  
Forget the wrong that I've done,  
Help me leave behind some,  
Reasons to be missed,  
Don't resent me,  
And when you're feeling empty,  
Keep me in your memory,  
Leave out all the rest,  
Leave out all the rest,_

Don't be afraid,  
I've taken my beating,  
I've shared what I've made,  
I'm strong on the surface,  
Not all the way through-"

"_I've never been perfect…" _The gruff voice is almost unrecognisable as he sings softly. My eyes look up to reach those of my partner, at the door of Donny's lab, looking slightly worse for wear. I turn down the music on the laptop and spin around on the chair to look at him. "Don let ya in here fer some space, huh?"

I nod, looking back to the laptop at the page before me.

"Looking up about your names in fact, Donny showed me some pages on the Renaissance, it's-"

"Kar, trust me, Don's tried ta make me look more than a few times."

"Oh." I turn back towards him, eyes flickering to look at him for a moment, before glancing at the floor.

"Look, I jus' wanted ta say I was sorry, an' I'm goin' ta bed."

"'Kay." I turn back to the laptop.

"Ya in a mood with me?" His voice softens.

"No, I just… why go out angry? What does it accomplish Raph?"

"Dunno…" I hear him shuffle at the door.

"Just go to bed, I'll talk to you in the morning." I look back, out of the corner of my eye.

"I never mean ta worry ya."

"Too bad you do, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"I try to understand, Splinter's your dad, I know, but, I guess I just don't understand being irrational like that, I am pretty laid back, generally."

"Unless Mikey bugs ya at the wrong time o' the month."

"Yeah," I turn back towards the strong turtle, smiling slightly, "it's okay, I guess I understand why you wanted to go out."

"I hate feelin' helpless… It's why I get pissed when yer upset I guess, I feel I can't help."

"A hug generally works." I pull on my orange beaded bracelet absent-mindedly.

"I'll try ta remember." Raph smiles slightly too. "I'm beat, I'm goin' ta bed."

"Alright Raph." I get up, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I love you, okay? Even if you drive me stir crazy."

"I love ya too, 'cause ya put up with me." His arms slink around my waist.

"Damn right."

We stay in our embrace for a while, eventually breaking away to kiss each other good night.

"Sweet dreams, tenshi." He brushes the hair from my face.

"Night Raphy." I smile slightly. Smiling back, he backs out of Don's lab, giving one last look before he goes off upstairs. I sigh, sitting back on Don's chair.

"Damn hothead…"

My attention turns back to the laptop.


	26. At home with the Utroms

**Authors notes**- I do not own the TMNT, any of their compadres, arch enemies or associates.

Okay, this part of the story is HUUUGE and there is just so much to put in it, so I divided it up (cliff hanger at the end of course). If there's anything you don't understand, please just say! I'm desperately trying to finish this story as quick as, so it may seem slightly rushed. If you think it is, please just review and say!

At home with the Utroms.

I pace one of the rooms in the huge TCRI building as the Utroms tap away at their computer. Splinter comes over to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

"My daughter, I know the past 10 hours have been… eventful for you, but please, stay calm, the Utroms will bring Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello back."

"I hope so father… I just feel bad, I should have rushed to see if Donny was okay, instead, I was intent on getting you free."

"Karma, do not feel bad, it was I who stopped you from going with your brothers. I worry for their safety right now." A man known as Mr Mortu turns away from the computer to talk to me.

The Utroms are small aliens, who accidentally ended up on Earth. Mortu only gave me the short story, saying when the guys had returned, he would reminisce the story to us all.

I guess the reason we ended up in the TCRI building was my fault in the first place. Ending up mad at Raph for having a dangerous high chase across the city makes Karma mad, and when Karma gets mad, she gets mouthy. Just because I happened to shout, "why don't we hunt down one of the guys who looked like he was from the Matrix and you beat the answers out of him Raph?!", Donny had the bright idea of trying to get the attention of one of said persons.

So after a lot of persuasion and a phoney Shredder trap he told us, absolutely nothing, but he gave us the chance to plant a tracker on him, which happened to lead to said building. Of course, the guys were eager to go inside, not just because they might find master Splinter, but they just might find some answers about their origins, TCRI was on the canister of ooze that mutated them after all.

After doing what we do best, rushing in and jumping to conclusions, the guys ended up being transported to, well, only knows. Mortu stopped me following them, after some bribery of course. When your sensei appears alive and well when you thought he was trapped in some alien pod, reprimanding you, for the moment, all sense goes out the proverbial window.

And that's how I come to be standing amidst a dozen Utrom, all desperately trying to pull Leo, Raph, Don and Mike from wherever, or whenever they may be. I start pacing once again, still wondering how I always manage to get left behind.

The colossal machine, known as the Transmat, that caused Leo, Raph, Don and Mike to be hurtled to only knows where, starts to hum, causing Splinter and I to glance towards each other. Five outlines materialise on the platform in the blue beam.

"Raph! Leo, Mikey, Donny!" I run over to it. Rubbing his head, Raph spots me. He grins and rushes over, picking me up and hugging me.

"Have I missed ya!" He mumbles to me. I kiss his cheek and squeeze him, grinning manically.

"Nice space suit." Raph only rolls his eyes at my words.

"HOME!" Mikey falls to his knees and starts to kiss the floor.

"Uh guys, we got hitchhikers." Donny turns round as six more figures materialise, three humans and three… dinosaurs?!

"Have you been to Jurassic Park?!" I ask.

"Oh dear." I hear another voice, the fifth figure to materialise, a robot.

"Honeycutt!" One of the dinosaurs shouts.

"Where are our troops?" Another asks.

"The Triceritons are going to get Honeycutt!" One of the humans shouts, pointing a gun.

"Wait! Everybody stay calm! I will-" Mortu speaks up but one of the humans fires a gun. The dinosaurs and the humans start to shoot at each other.

"Oh jeez." Raph looks over at the conflict, as the rest of our brothers back off the platform, dragging the robot after them.

"Stun beams, now." Mortu turns to an Utrom floating nearby. He nods and from his base a small cannon emerges. He shoots it at the dinosaurs and humans to freeze them.

"Get them back to their original co-ordinates." Mortu orders the same Utrom. As they get teleported back, Raph draws his Sai.

"Whoa whoa! Hold it hothead," I rest my hands on his shoulders, "we got the wrong idea about these guys-"

"Yer tellin' me I got the wrong idea 'bout some squishy… _things_… that have master Splinter?!"

I roll my eyes, stepping back.

"Sensei!" Leo's eyes light up.

"Master Splinter!" Mikey bounds towards him.

"Holy shit…" Raph lowers his sai.

"Master Splinter!" Donny beams.

They all rush over to him and hug him. As I look on, I smile as they all talk at him.

"My sons, it is nice to see you too, but… you're crushing me!" I hear Splinter speak out from the bundle of turtles, laughing slightly. They all step back, grinning manically, eyes glancing to Mortu. "This is Mr Mortu, a very good friend of mine. His guardians, which you have already met," he motions to two guards standing nearby, the same two Mikey described as looking like they were from the Matrix, "rescued me from the Shredder's lair. Their own story, is intertwined with ours."

"Whoa, dude, sorry for all the smashy smashy before." Mikey scratches his head.

"Yeah, I guess we didn't think." Leo unzips his space suit.

"My friends, it is okay, your master and Karma explained that you are all, a little rash at times." Mortu smiles kindly. "I guess you would all like some explanations."

"Well, I guess we should explain first." Leo says turning to the robot. "This is Professor Honeycutt, he isn't actually a robot, his mind and his helper robot got fused together in an electrical storm on his home planet, D'Hoonnib, which is where we got teleported. Long story short, he was on the run and we helped him."

"I see you managed to get in trouble once again my sons." Splinter rolls his eyes and I look towards Leo.

"We can't help being popular!" Mikey grins.

_Slap, slap, slap, slap, thwack!_

"Owww! Master Splinter, there was no need for the walking stick!" Mikey rubs his head.

"My friends, come, let there be no more secrets between us." Mortu undoes his jacket, to reveal he is an Utrom, in a robotic suit.

"What? How?! Argh!" Mikey grabs his head.

"You see my friends, we are more closely related than you think. The ooze that mutated you, it was the side waste from trying to build this magnificent machine you used to travel galaxies away. We are the Utrom race, and we crashed to Earth centuries ago. Please, let us show you how it came to be." Mortu motions to the exit of the room. The guys stand dumbfounded, but follow him all the same, Splinter and I also following. We enter a room, full of pods.

"Oh no, pods are never a good sign in a horror movie!" Mikey says and Raph gives him a sarcastic look, his hovering palm threatening to strike. Mikey shrieks and hides behind me.

"This is where us Utroms come to share all of our life experiences together. You can relive our past, without the long explanation. Please, step inside." Mortu holds his arm out to the pods. The guys look around at each other reluctantly and I go over to them.

"C'mon, don't be such girls."

Splinter follows and eventually all we're all in a pod of our own. The pod shuts around me and before I know it, we're all floating together.

"Whoa! It's like…"

"A movie?" Donny asks.

"Yeah! Ooh, Utrom ship."

We all glance around at Mikey's comment. One of the Utroms, sat at the front of the ship is address by another Utrom as 'Mortu'.

"Jeez, how long do these guys live?!" I whisper to Don.

"Nice ship, Mortu… Mortu? Hey! Squishy dude! Oh fine, ignore me!" Mikey dances by the Utrom.

"Michelangelo, this is a memory, they cannot hear you." Splinter says.

"Oh."

As we stand by, it cuts to a scene where an Utrom, with a dark scar over one of its eyes, is locked up. Un-pleasantries are exchanged between Mortu and the locked up Utrom, as we find out this Utrom is particularly evil and is a prisoner.

Once again the scene cuts back to the front of the ship and alarms start to go off. The Utroms panic as they realise the prisoner Utrom has escaped and he's destroyed the power to the ship. As the ship starts to fall, they alter the course to Earth.

"It's just a memory, it's just a memory, it's just a memory." Mikey says closing his eyes. We hold on and crash into Earth, landing in feudal Japan. The memory skips through periods, showing the Utroms surviving on Earth, as without such advanced technology, they cannot get home. From the wreckage of the ship, they create robotic suits, such as the one Mortu was in, so they may walk among the humans unnoticed. Whilst the Utroms work on collecting up useful things from the wreckage, they get ambushed by some ninja. We stand by helplessly. A ninja steps forward, one that looks all too familiar.

"Shredder?!" Leo gasps.

"But it can't be." Raph says.

"It must be his ancestor or something..." Don muses.

"His ancestor was a baka too it seems." I say as I watch him go for Mortu.

We stand by and watch, unable to do anything. Mikey steps towards Shredder, dancing and taunting.

"Mikey, don't get too close."

"Lighten up Leo, he can't do anything to me! Remember, it's like a dream." Mikey steps through Shredder and starts pulling faces. I roll my eyes at Don, who is leaning on his bo staff, watching his lovable brother. He smiles slightly, then stumbles, as his staff disappears.

"My katana!" Leo looks at his bare hands as Raph and I search for our weapons. Shredder turns to face Mikey.

"Wuh-oh..."


	27. Will we ever get home?

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres, arch enemies or associates.

I thought it'd be cool if Karm liked the film 'Mulan' seeing as Mulan is a girl fighting amongst loads of guys, so I related it a bit. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you watch it! It's brilliant!

Only maybe one or two more chapters to go!!

Will we ever get home?

Shredder strides towards Mikey, and viciously throws him to the side.

"Mikey!"

Raph runs over to him first, closely followed by the rest of us.

"We're real, but why?" I look over at Donny.

"A malfunction in the Utroms system maybe…" The smart brother shrugs.

"Mikey, Mikey, c'mon bro, don't do this to us, wake up." Raph holds his head carefully while Leo stands up, aware of the ninja making their way towards us.

"Raph, get Mikey and go with sensei out of here, Donny, Kar and I will cover your backs, now go." Taking charge, he turns to look at his brother who nods. Raph carefully picks up Mikey, and he and Splinter disappear into the bamboo shoots behind us.

"Now what?" I ask our eldest brother as we back away from the advancing ninja.

"Good question." Leo kicks a ninja back into another and I give a swift punch to one right in front of me. I notice Donny run off to the side.

"Donny, now's not the time for some big idea, we need some help here." My shell bumps into the bamboo as we're surrounded.

"Trust me!" He shouts back. Leo and I exchange nervous glances and try our best to fight the ninja weapon-less. "Leo, Karm, catch!"

I glance up to see four short lengths of bamboo flying towards us. My brother and I jump up, catching them, then strike out as we land. Donny comes rushing over, a longer length of bamboo in his hands.

"Just get as many down as you can, nothing fancy, and first chance, dive into the bamboo."

"Got it." I nod as a katana comes crashing down onto my bamboo. They crush under the weight of the sword and I flip backwards.

"Karm, go, we'll cover you."

I take the orders from my brother and leader, diving through the bamboo shoots, the smaller ones flicking back on my shell and legs as I run. I clamber up a solid shoot, watching as Donny and Leo run underneath me. They have the same idea as me, climbing up a solid shoot not far from me.

"What's the plan?" I hear Donny say to Leo.

"How about we get the hell outta here?" I say to them, my hair blowing in the wind.

"Oh hey Karm." Donny looks at me.

"You two go see how Mike is, I'm gunna follow Shredder's grandfather and see what he's up to."

Before either I or my purple banded brother can argue, Leo has jumped down. Donny and I exchange looks and climb down the shoots.

* * *

We find Raph, sensei and Mike not far away from the bamboo shoots.

"Hey." I say, whilst Donny crouches down by Mikey. Raph gets up, grunting slightly as he stretches. "How is he?"

"Still out cold, hasn't stirred at all." Raph crosses his arms over his plastron. I look towards sensei, who has Mikey's head in his lap, looking down worriedly at his son.

"We need to get outta here, Mike needs medical attention, and I haven't got anything that can help him out right now."

"D'ya think… well…" Raph rubs the back of his neck.

"Because this isn't a memory anymore, does this mean Mikey's actually hurt, Don?" I ask for Raph.

"Well, yeah, I guess so."

"My children, we must careful, if that is true, I fear that if Michelangelo dies in this world, he will die in reality."

We all glance around worriedly.

"Where's Leo?" Raph breaks the silence.

"Just said he was checking things out." Don says whilst checking Mikey's vital signs. Raph grunts in response. I sit on a tree stump not too far away, and glance at my youngest older brother.

'_Mikey, you're just as bad getting into trouble as Raph, maybe even worse. I knew from the day I set eyes on you, from that cheeky grin and the "That's me! I'm a brother!" that you'd be the trouble maker.' _I smile fondly at the thought.

I watch Raph pace, Don fuss and Splinter worry for a good 15 minutes before Leo comes rushing back.

"Hey, what ya find?" Raph notices him first. I glance up, along with Don and Splinter.

"This is crazy Raph, I just saw Shredder invent the sword of Tengu!"

An outraged "what?!" echoes around.

"That was the funky sword right?" I ask uncertainly.

"Ya sound like Mike." Raph smirks slightly.

"How is he?" Leo steps forward, looking down to his youngest brother.

"Still unconscious… we really need to get him out of here, I can't assess the damage he's taken in this primitive time."

Leo folds his arms over his plastron at Don's words. As I go to speak, a shriek fills the air, Leo and Raph dashing off in the direction of it.

"Go on Don, I'll take care of Mike." I say as Don nods and rushes after his older brothers. Taking my place by Mikey's side, I clutch his left hand, stroking it softly. "C'mon little big brother, you got us all worried. I dunno what's going on here, but you know we need you. Raph and Leo are gunna end up fighting, and Don's gunna end up a nervous wreck if you don't wake up. Plus, I'll have to deal with it! And I can't deal without my littlest big bro', you know I can't. Maybe if you wake up, we can get some food from this place."

Mikey's hand twitches and his eyelids flicker.

"Michelangelo…?" His father strokes his head.

"Uhhh… owww, my head." His right hand is lifted weakly to his head.

"Mikey!" I gasp, trying to restrain myself hugging him. Baby blue eyes meet sensei's, then mine.

"I always told ya the walking stick was too much Master Splinter." Mikey grins weakly and Splinter chuckles at his joke.

"I am glad to see the hit did not affect your sense of humour, my son."

Mikey slowly and carefully sits up, with a little help from sensei and I. He gives me a smile and I smile back. I can't hold back anymore and dive at him. He clutches me in his strong arms and strokes my shell.

"Hey, ya really think a hit from the big tin opener could stop me?"

"Trust you to wake up as soon as I mention food." I mutter into his neck, tears falling down my cheek.

"Don't cry Karmy, I'm okay." Mikey pulls away to look at me, seriously for a change, and I nod, rubbing the tears from my cheeks. "Anyway, what was this mention of food?" His eyes light up and his mouth stretches into that trademark grin. I giggle and nudge him playfully in the arm.

"I believe there are fruit trees near by my children. Please, do not wander far."

Mikey and I dash off at the prospect of climbing trees.

"You always said you'd teach me." I grin as we run off.

"And now I'm gunna! In Japan too." He grins back.

We stop at a huge tree stretching its branches far and wide above us.

"This one?" I gaze up in awe.

"Yup, this one. It's got lots of branches, and fruit. Watch me, it's just like climbing a ladder topside back home." Mikey scrambles up the tree quickly and I watch him in admiration. He playfully shakes a branch nearby and a small fruit only just misses my head.

"Mikey!"

My only response, his trademark laugh.

"Wanna try?" I shake my head shyly. "Okay, we can go to that one over there in a while, it's smaller and it's got different fruit."

I take my obi from around my waist to gather the fruit in. Mikey starts to shake branches as I dodge the falling fruit. When I've gathered as much as I can in my obi, he carefully jumps down.

"Can I try?" I look to Mikey, then a small tree near by.

"Sure." My brother picks up my fruit filled obi belt as I go over to a small tree. I wander for a few minutes before going over to Mikey. I untie his belt and he blinks in shock. "I'm naked!" He shrieks and I giggle.

"Whack bag."

"You love it!… Karmy, what are you doing?"

"Well, you know how I love Mulan?"

"Uh-huh?"

"There's something I've always wanted to try from it." My eyes twinkle as I wrap the belt around the trunk. I hold both ends and try to scurry up the tree. I quickly slide down.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Mulan makes it look easy." I sulk, attempting it again. This time I concentrate harder, making it up to the first sturdy branch.

"That's technically cheating, but, what the shell!" Mikey grins.

Shuffling along the branch, I shake the brightly coloured fruit from it.

"I don't even know what any of this is!"

"If Master Splinter says it's fruit, it's fruit, he's Japanese after all."

"Yeah, but from a much later period than this, he's not that old Mikey!"

He smiles cheekily and I glance to the branch above.

"C'mon, we got plenty."

"I kinda like it up here."

"Sure you're a turtle, not a monkey? C'mon, I'm hungry!!"

"One more branch."

I stand up warily, and reach for the branch above. Managing to grab hold of it, I pull myself up, and swing onto it. Grinning to myself I look down at Mikey. He gives me a thumbs up. I join him on the ground again, tying his belt around his waist for him whilst he holds my obi. I gather more fruit from the floor in my arms and we make our way back.

"Yanno something?"

"Mm?" I look towards my brother.

"I almost forgot we were in the middle of like, a big war."

"Sometimes I guess even the simplest of things are the best." I smile and he smiles back.

"We'll get back home won't we? I've missed the TV."

"Of course we will." I grin, but both Mikey and I know I'm not fooling anyone, we could be stuck here forever.


	28. I've been far away

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT, any of their compadres, enemies or associates.

I've been far away...

Mikey and I return to the spot where we left Master Splinter to see him sitting calmly amongst his three panic-stricken sons.

"Where are they?!" Raph shouts.

"Right here." I raise an eye ridge at the bad tempered ninja and carefully place the food down. As I straighten, Raph rubs the back of his neck.

"Where'd you guys go?" Mikey says through a mouthful of fruit.

"We found a family in trouble, the Foot are still as despicable as they are in New York… Mikey, you do know that food isn't real don't you?" Donny says sitting down and picking up a strange looking fruit.

"Don't care! Tastes good!"

Mikey puts down my obi and tips the fruit onto the floor. As I retrieve my belt and tie it around my waist, Raph clears his throat behind me. I spin around, firstly glancing to sensei, Leo, Don and Mikey all sitting down. I put a hand on my hip as if to say, "yeah?".

"Sorry…" He mutters. I roll my eyes good-humouredly and take him in a hug.

"I'm used to you shouting your head off by now." I kiss his cheek.

"Yanno somethin'?" He strokes my cheek and looks into my eyes.

"What?"

"When… when we got to D'Hoonnib, I just… I was devastated ya were left behind, ya know we never mean ta-"

"Stop right there." I step back and put my hands up. "Mortu stopped me from going, he held me back. Of course, if Master Splinter hadn't emerged that second later, Mortu would be a dead ma-… alien."

Raph nods uncertainly.

"I really missed ya girl." His arms find their way around my waist, and a smile comes to his face. I smile back. "Are ya okay? Ya been… a bit different lately."

"What you mean?"

"Ya been, distant I guess. Like there's too much goin' on up here." He points to his head. I sigh.

"Raph-"

"Mortu?" Leo's voice distracts Raph and I. Standing before him are two guardians and what looks like a man in a long robe and hat, but is an early exo suit, with Mortu inside.

"My guardians informed me that you knew of us Utroms, but how you know my name is extraordinary."

"Please, hear us out, I know this sounds…" Leo struggles with his words.

"This sounds insane, completely insane, but we know you, we know you centuries away, let me explain…" Don goes on to explain how we ended up stuck in Feudal Japan, each of us hanging on his every word.

"I see…" Mortu sighs.

"Do you think you can get us home Mr. Mortu?"

"This is a very primitive time Leonardo, we struggle to just survive in this era. Luckily for you, us Utroms come prepared for anything."

A guardian stands and holds out a black box to Leo.

"An internal failsafe reset. Press the button and you will be home before you know it."

Leo takes it.

"Thank you Mortu."

"But wait, before you go home, there is something I am unsure you know about the Shredder."

"An' what would that be?"

"Well…" As Mortu goes to reply to Raph, an all too familiar evil laugh echoes through the trees. Stepping forward, is the Feudal Shredder.

"Shredder…" Leo immediately stands, all of us following suit.

"Mortu, I have found you, you insignificant worm. You will perish!" Shredder raises a jagged sword and it sparks with energy.

I creep up behind Leo, and he gives me the internal failsafe reset. I take it, hiding it in my obi belt.

"Oh yeah tin can? Ya want Mortu, ya gunna hafta get through us." Raph steps forward.

"Oh don't worry, I intend to." A blast of energy hits Raph and he gets thrown backwards. I rush to his side, feeling the anger rise up in my chest. Racing towards Shredder, I too get thrown back, the energy coursing throughout my body. I try to shake away the aching pain and a strong pair of arms picks me up. I gaze up to Raph, looking down worriedly. Bravely, I stand, against the protest in my body. I watch as Leo stands in front of Shredder without any fear.

'_He really does live up to his nickname.'_

Closing his eyes, Shredder laughs in his face.

"Foolish turtle, you think closing your eyes can make me go away?" Shredder raises the sword which in the blink of an eyes, vanishes. We all recoil back from shock as Leo stands with the sword of Tengu.

"Closing my eyes might not make you go away, but it makes your toys disappear." Leo swings the sword, a wave of energy taking out Shredder. Closing his eyes once again, the sword disappears.

"Leonardo, take this chance and go now." Mortu stands. "And thank you, to you all. I look forward to seeing you in the future."

We all bow.

"Oh yeah, if we just so happen to break into the TCRI building in the future, try not to get too mad, 'kay?" Mikey grins.

"And I don't really mean it when I call you a 'pink squishy marshmallow', honestly." I wince at the recalled memory. Mortu only laughs.

"Goodbye for now, my friends." He and his guardians also bow. I take the box from my obi and press the button, taking hold of nearby Mikey.

"If anybody was to accidentally get left behind, I could guarantee it would be you Michelangelo." I roll my eyes at my brother as Mortu quickly disappears from sight.


	29. Goodbye

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres, enemies or associates.

Second last chapter! Thanks to all my reviewers, Chibilover, Steph Ragland, deathoftoast and 54Viruses especially. Sorry if there's a few mistakes, I haven't re-read it properly through, i'm too tired and just wanted to out it up. Any corrections welcome!

Goodbye

As I open my eyes, I stare out of the pod at a frantic Mortu. The pod doors open and I step out, my family quickly following.

"You're back?! But how?" Mortu is astonished.

"Long story, involving Shredder." Leo says whilst checking for his katana.

"The Shredder?" Mortu stares at each of us then shakes his head. "That doesn't matter right now. The building is under attack. Us Utroms must use the Transmat and go back home. We have evacuated the Council and the rest of the Utroms in the building, it is only I and the other Utroms down here that are left."

"We understand Mortu." Leo nods. "Let's get you outta here." As we make our way to the Transmat, a door opens behind us. The sight as we spin around makes us gasp.

"The Foot?!" Leo frowns at the black and red clad ninja.

"But why would they be here?"

"Ever observant Donatello, but they would be here, for am I, to finish off you nuisances and the Utroms."

Shredder steps forward, as menacing as ever in his full armour.

"And Mortu would have been just about to tell us that Shredder is immortal, before he was cut off by his grandfather…" Muttering, I draw my tessen.

"But I finished you myself!" Leo stands in shock.

"You merely detached my head from my body Leonardo, something I will be doing to you all!" I tense up, anticipating Shredder's attack. "Heh, as wary of me as ever Karma? You still do not understand, I will do anything to take you away from these freaks, _dead or alive_…"

His cold words make my spine shudder.

"What do you want with me? With my family? Don't you understand, we're happy!"

"Happy!" Shredder laughs in my face, "Aren't you jealous? While I walk the surface, you hide away, fearful for your life everyday! Fearful for the men who may find you and dissect you. You're too much of a good specimen for that."

"You sound like Stockman." I lunge towards Shredder and he blocks my attack with his gauntlet. Noticing the Elite appear behind him, I throw worried looks towards my family. I note their fearless expressions and how they tense, ready for battle. As they start to fight the Elite, I turn my concentration towards Shredder.

"Why is it every time we battle, we battle not only physically, but verbally. I have told you Karma, you were the brawn of your family, not the brains."

I deliver a spin kick to Shredder's midsection.

"Stop taunting me, you were my only family, and now they are my family." I nod towards Donny fighting with an Elite guard not far away.

"How naïve, it reminds me of your younger sister…"

I freeze and Shredder aims a powerful kick my way. Having grown wise to this trick, I dodge out of the way, giving a smirk.

"Think I wouldn't have learnt? You're only tricking me."

"Oh? But am I?" Shredder laughs once again. I shrink back slightly, when my father's teachings cross my mind.

'You must be strong in mind and body my daughter. I have noticed during your battles with the Shredder, he tries to weaken you by talking to you. He knows of your physical strength, but he also knows your mind is still in a weak state. Train your mind, and you will be an impenetrable fort against the Shredder.'

"I grow tired of you." I look away, leaving my arms hanging by myself. In trickery kunoichi-like fashion, I act uninterested in Shredder's words, then strike out quickly. He recoils back and I laugh at him. "Shredder, you really think such a man like Stockman, or yourself, could extinguish the fire within me? You're wrong."

"You are the wrong one, kunoichi." Shredder starts a parry of attacks upon me again. The battle grows ever more intense, until my eyes drift to my purple banded brother behind, a near fatal mistake to make. Shredder's gauntlet narrowly misses my neck. Flipping backwards to distance myself from him, he stands proudly.

"Tell me of my family." I step to my right, Shredder copying.

"Not until you join my side."

"Deal."

"What?" Shredder asks, slightly stunned. A flash of a grin and a powerful punch sends Shredder reeling.

"You snooze, you lose!… I sounded too much like Mikey then." I shake my head and block as Shredder lunges for me.

"You too start the mind games Karma."

"To prove you wrong. To prove you I'm more than strength."

"But you are not strong," I dodge a quick fist, "not mentally, you only act it."

"Is that so?" I try to sweep my foot under Shredder's legs, but he quickly dodges.

"Your eyes do not lie. When I mentioned your little sister… yes… your imouto, Shinrai… your eyes flashed with hope, just like they did then when I mentioned her name." The attacks stop. "Do you remember her Karma? Do you remember her long blonde hair-"

"**Shut up, just shut up!" **My anger rushes through my body, coursing through my veins, giving me a new lease of life. The punches, the kicks, the swipes of my tessen become more accurate, more powerful, more deadly. Shredder only stumbles back somewhat, when an equally powerful kick connects with my plastron. I'm thrown backwards to the floor, my father's words _'you must not let your anger cloud you'_ coming flooding back.

Laying in agony on the floor, Shredder steps towards me.

"Right now, you are not worth the hassle. Mortu is the one I want, but someday, you will be mine again Karma, you will be back with your imouto Shinrai." Another kick into my ribs forces the breath out of me.

With pain coursing through my ribs and my lungs burning from lack of oxygen, I close my eyes for a moment and everything seems so peaceful.

"Karmy!" Mikey's panicked cry stirs me from my moment of peace. Everything comes flooding back to me, and I sit up, pain still burning, but managing to stand once again. I watch as my littlest older brother fights viciously against one of the Elite, kicking him backwards and running towards me.

"I'm okay Mikey." I whisper.

"You better be little sis, we need you." Mikey's blue eyes snap up to the door leading to the Transmat where Shredder is heading for.

"The Utroms need us."

"Damn straight, c'mon."

I rush after my brother, the rest of out family slowly following us. Mikey leaps onto Shredder's shoulders, quickly jumping off in front of him.

"Infuriating turtle!"

"Nuh-uh dude, this area is designated for Utroms and ninja turtles only!" Mikey kicks Shredder back and I leap past him. Leo quickly joins Mikey and I, whilst Raph can't help but give Shredder a punch whilst he's down. Donny and Master Splinter rush past Shredder and into the Transmat room ahead of us.

"Hey _shugosha_, we're outta here!" I call back to Raph.

"I'm comin', keep yer shell on." Raph leaps over Shredder and follows me into the Transmat room. The doors shut after us, and Mortu locks it from the control panel.

"It won't hold forever, just hopefully long enough to get us outta here!" Mortu frantically taps away at the keyboard and the Transmat begins to hum. Three Utroms step onto the Transmat, along with a couple of Guardians. Hammering on the door announces Shredder's attempts at invading. I look back to the Utroms and Guardians on the Transmat to see them flicker and disappear. "Please, we don't have long." Mortu shouts to the remaining five Utroms. More hammering comes from the door as the remaining five Utroms flicker and disappear.

"Donatello, you may have the honour of starting up the Transmat for myself to go home," Mortu steps onto the platform along with the few Guardians remaining, "Professor Honeycutt, won't you join us?"

"Oh my, I would be delighted Mr. Mortu, if I were not to cause any trouble." The robot cocks his head to the side.

"You are welcome with us Utroms."

"I guess this is goodbye then Mortu, Professor." Leo says, nervously glancing at the door.

"I'm afraid so Leonardo. Splinter, please, I have a small gift for you." Mortu produces a small crystal sphere. "I did wish to give this to you at a less pressing time, but it appears time is not on our side, comrade. It is our memories of Hamato Yoshi, when he once served us as a Guardian."

"Thank you, Mr. Mortu." Splinter takes the crystal ball with glassy eyes, and bows.

"Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo," Mortu turn to them, "it has been an honour."

The four brothers bow.

"It has been our honour, Mortu." Leo smiles.

"Not forgetting you Karma." Mortu turns to me and I smile. "I am sorry I do not have the answers of your origins, but what you had is gone, and what you have now is a wonderful family, do not forget that."

"Thank you Mortu." I also say with glassy eyes as I bow.

"Thank you also my friends, you have helped me more than you know. Will I see you again?"

"We can hope, Professor." Don smiles as the robot stands on the platform, along with the Guardians.

"Goodbye my friends."

With a crash and a bang, the door breaks.

"Jeez Shredder, could you be anymore of a killjoy?!" Mikey turns towards the armoured man in the doorway.

"I have waited a thousand years for my revenge Mortu, you shall not get away this easily!" Shredder seemingly forgets us for the moment.

"A thousand years?!" Donny frowns.

"You're too late Shredder." Mortu's exo suit points towards him.

"Never!" Shredder lunges for Mortu but my whole family, including myself, jump to Mortu's defence.

"Back off tin can!" Raph snarls.

"You turtles have got in my way for far too long! I will make you all pay!" Shredder throws an object along the floor, and we all jump out the way.

"What the…?" Inquisitive Don steps forward.

"No! Donatello! Do not touch it, it's an Utrom imploding device. It destroys any organic material it touches! It will infect the system, 'causing the building to blow."

"It's set for 5 minutes." Donny looks towards Mortu worriedly.

"Why is it always 5 minutes?!" Mikey asks exasperated.

"If it make ya feel any better Mike, it's 4 minutes and 48 seconds now."

"Surprisingly Raph… no. That really doesn't."

"Enough! You fools will be destroyed, Mortu is mine." Shredder knocks Mikey and I flying backwards into Leo and Raph. He underestimates the ninja skills of my purple banded brother, as Donny has sneaked off towards the control panel of the Transmat and is already sending Mortu home.

"Too late Shredder!" Don turns to face him as Mortu, Honeycutt and the two Guardians disappear.

"NO!!" Shredder jumps onto the platform as the last trace of Mortu disappears. He shudders from rage. "You creatures have ruined my plans. You will ultimately pay."

"Gunna set gorilla man on us? Or how 'bout the funky hat guys and the pyjama wearing guys, 'cause yanno, we can kick their asses any day."

"That is why I am going to do this myself! Starting with you!" Shredder lunges for Donny, who quickly dodges, causing Shredder to strike at the control panel of the Transmat.

"Wait, I have an idea! Just lodge your weapons into his armour, leave me to do the rest." Donny dodges past Shredder again.

"Ya heard brainiac." Raph takes his sai, and with deadly accuracy, both pierce Shredder's armour in the chest. Stumbling backwards, Leo lodges both of his katana into Shredder's chest, the ends protruding from his back. I swipe my tessen into the armour, leaving open gashes and Mikey throws shuriken into Shredder too.

"Kick him into the control panel!" Donny steps out of the way.

We part to let Master Splinter give the finishing blow. The kick makes Shredder stumble backwards, into the sparking control panel where the sparks jump at Shredder's metal armour, coursing through him. With a clatter, he falls.

"Is he…?" Leo steps forward.

"What d'ya think Leo?" Raph gives him a sarcastic look.

"Raph, I sliced his head off and he was still living!"

"Maybe he was a zombie."

"Mikey, he was not a zombie. Besides, no human could survive being electrocuted." Donny says from the control panel.

"What you doing Don?" Mikey comes up to behind his brother, giving a wary look to Shredder.

"Hooking this thing up, I got an escape plan."

"You just wanna use the Transmat again."

"How did you know little brother?" Donny's face beams.

Meanwhile, Raph walks up to Shredder, and pulls out Leo's katana, handing them to his brother, then retrieving him sai.

"Fer a second, I don't believe that's it. He's fallen from a couple storey buildin' with a water tower land on his head, but he's still walkin'! Then Leo chops his head off, an' he's still walkin'!"

"Raph, don't jinx it." Leo folds his arms.

"Look, the timer's almost up on the bomb, we'll get out of here, and that'll make sure he's gone for good." Donny frowns at the rewiring he's doing.

"That makes me feel a bit better…" Raph eyes the armour.

"Okay! Let's go home, finally!" Donny straightens up.

"Am I glad to here the word 'home'!!" Mikey dashes past Shredder, when he trips.

"You really are clumsy Michelangelo!" I roll my eyes playfully.

"Sis, not to worry you, but, I dodged his legs." Mikey gets up, eying Shredder.

"Mike, yer givin' me the creeps, cut it out!"

"Raph, I'm not joking!"

"My children, come, this building will implode soon."

"Master Splinter, watch out!" Leo pushes our father out of the way as an Utrom leaps for him.

"An Utrom?!" Mikey frowns.

"Wait, don't that scar over his eye look familiar…?" Raph bends down to look at the Utrom, who lunges at Raph. "Whoa!" Raph recoils.

"Guys," Donny says shakily, "yanno how none of this added up before? Well, that open exo suit makes it all add up!"

We all look towards Shredder's armour, to see that there is an open cavity in the chest, much like Mortu's exo suit.

"Shredder's an Utrom?!" We all echo.

"That's why we ran into him in Feudal Japan!" Leo says.

"And why he said he'd waited a thousand years to get Mortu!"

"And why beheading him didn't kill him!" Donny finishes Mikey's train of thought.

"So yer a little squishy dude, an' yer causin' all this trouble?" Shredder growls and lunges for Raph's leg. "Gerroff!!" The red banded turtle frantically shakes his leg.

"We don't have time for this…" Donny looks at the humming Transmat.

"Get him off me!" Master Splinter comes to Raph's rescue, prying the Utrom off with his walking stick. Shredder flies through the air, landing behind a barrel of ooze. "We're gettin' outta here, NOW!"

"You ain't gotta tell me twice!" Mikey says, diving towards the platform. We all follow suit, and as we start to materialise, the last thing I see is Utrom Shredder rushing for the Transmat, a look of absolute horror on his face.


	30. Past, present and future

**Authors notes-** I do not own the TMNT or any of their compadres, enemies or associates.

Well, last chapter. It's been fun!

Past, present and future.

"Yanno, if I hadn't been runnin' for my life at the time, I would of laughed so much at you when Utrom Shredder was clinging to your leg Raph!"

"Shut it Mikey." Raph growls.

I smile at my family, moving to lie down on my back on the springy grass. Master Splinter thought a little vacation would suffice, and Casey generously offered the services of his Grandmother's house once again, as long as he and April could come too. We gladly agreed.

As we sit around on the lawn at the front of the house, April and Casey sit on the chairs on the front porch.

"Think those two will ever admit their feelings?" Leo says.

"Casey admit his feelin's? Naw, never bro'." Raph stretches beside me.

"Casey is a lucky dude though. I'd kill to have a girlfriend!"

"Well Mikey, ya got three problems there. Yer green, yer annoyin' an' the only mutant turtle girl is right here." Raph grins down at me and I smile up at him.

"Hey!… I'm not annoying!"

Leo clears his throat and Don chuckles.

"My son, look at it as 'charm'."

"Oh, so you think I'm annoyin' too Master Splinter?!"

"Sometimes you try my patience Michelangelo."

"So that's a yes." Mikey huffs.

"None of us are perfect Mikey. Who'd put up with me spouting all my science lingo?"

"Uh, somebody really boring…? Ha ha ha ha ha! I'm kiddin' Donny."

"You better be, 'charmer'."

I giggle at Donny's response.

"Jeez, imagine if Leo got a girl, it's be Mr and Mrs Perfect."

"Raph…"

As I roll onto my front, and prop myself up on my elbows, I see Leo roll his eyes playfully at his brother.

"Raph has a point Leo, you wouldn't settle for anythin' less!" Mikey grins.

"And lemme guess Mike, your girlfriend would be twice as annoying as you." Leo smirks.

"Hey! I'm charming, not annoying, sensei said so."

"If yer charmin', I'm patient."

"And I'm dumb."

"I'm uptight." I smile.

"And I'm the worse ninja in the world."

"Well hey patience, dummy, huffy and loser." Mikey grins.

"Yer goin' in the lake Mike." Raph punches his brother's arm playfully.

"Oh yeah? With you and what army?"

Leo, Raph and Don stand up, crowding Mikey. With a shriek, Mikey scrambles to his feet. I laugh as his brothers give chase and look to Master Splinter smiling too.

"Master Splinter?" I ask, my smile fading.

"Yes musume?"

"Do you think there's a chance there's more mutant turtles out there?"

Thinking brown eyes turn towards me.

"I think that fate has strange ways Karma. I believe that my sons will find love in someone. I thought it highly likely my sons would be the only mutant turtles, and myself the only mutant rat, but if our experiences among the Utroms have taught us anything, it is that there are many different creatures among the Universe."

"Are you saying there might be a whole planet of ninja mutant turtles?"

My father chuckles softly.

"As I said my daughter, fate has strange ways." He says as he stands. Laying a paw on my shoulder, he makes his way inside.

I lose myself among my thoughts, when a familiar kind voice brings me back to reality.

"Oh, hey Donny."

"You just gunna sit on the grass all day by yourself, or join us in the lake. Even Leo's taking time off being leader."

"I was just thinking is all, brother."

Don sits next to me, looking inquisitive.

"What's so important it even bothers you here?"

I sigh to myself. If I was going to tell anybody there may be a chance of me having a family somehow, it would be the most rational, level-headed and scientific brother.

"Shredder has said something to me, the past two times we have fought. 'You were the brawn of your family, not the brains'."

Donny stares.

"…Family?"

"Yeah…"

My brother tilts his head down.

"'…the brawn of your family, not the brains.'" My brother mutters.

"He also mentioned a name… Shinrai… he said I was as naïve as my imouto, Shinrai."

"Shinrai, faith in Japanese… Are you sure he wasn't just playing mind games?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he, I… the name sounds familiar…"

"I promise you, when we get back home, we'll go to Stockman's old lab and find whatever we can. If there's a chance you have a sister, and she's being held by Shredder or Stockman, we need to rescue her."

"Don, wait… I told you because… well, hearing you all talk about having girlfriends just stirred it in my head, and, well, I know you look at things mostly with your head, not your heart. You'd be the one least likely to get your hopes up, and you'd think about this rationally."

"I understand." Donny nods. "This is safe with me."

"Thank you big brother." I smile.

"C'mon, I know you've been dying to go in the lake." Donny smiles as he gets up, and gives me a hand up.

"You bet! Race ya!" I take off towards the blue stretching before me, hearing my brother right behind.

'_I know Mortu was right. I have something fantastic now, but I can't turn my back on what I might have had, especially if what I might have had, needs me… I'll find you Shinrai, I promise on my honour.'_


End file.
